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Haydn: Quartets... / Quatuor Mosaiques

Haydn / Quatuor Mosaiques
Release Date: 11/19/2013 
Label:  Naive   Catalog #: 5357   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Number of Discs: 10 
Recorded in: Stereo 
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2 Customer
Reviews

Notes and Editorial Reviews


It’s a thousand pities that the Quatuor Mosaïques never completed its cycle of Haydn quartets. Certainly they remain the reference recordings on period instruments, and they compare favorably with performances of any sort. There is something special about the Haydn quartets from Op. 20 on: their harmonic daring, variety of form and texture, and balance and perfection of structure make them timeless. It doesn’t matter whether the ensemble plays on period instruments or not. A great performance captures the music’s sense of discovery and spontaneity. It must sound as though the music were being composed as it is being played.

That means an approach that comes across as effortless Read more and naturally expressive (and yes, that means a healthy use of vibrato in cantabile passages), and this is precisely the quality we find in these performances. Two examples suffice to demonstrate this point. Sample the slow movement of the F Minor Quartet, Op. 20 No. 5, and hear how Haydn proceeds from the opening siciliano rhythm, to a smoother pulse below the song of the first violin, to a thrilling climax on harmonies that could have been written yesterday. Similarly, the bagpipe episode in the “Emperor” Quartet’s first movement development section needs to sound rustic, gutsy, but never crude. This performance captures the music’s “open air” quality without a trace of unnecessary harshness.

In general, then, the playing of the Mosaïques has all of the classical virtues of clean ensemble, excellent internal balances, and wonderfully judged phrasing. The cello of Christophe Coin deserves special praise for his firm but never overwhelming realization of Haydn’s critical bass lines. I am not a fan of the string quartet version of The Seven Last Words of the Savior on the Cross, but this is certainly one of the better ones, and all six opera have been vibrantly engineered for maximum warmth, clarity, and impact. A great set, and a “must” for Haydn quartet collectors.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com
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Works on This Recording

1.
Quartet for Strings in E flat major, Op. 20 no 1/H 3 no 31 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 25 Minutes 33 Secs. 
2.
Quartet for Strings in C major, Op. 20 no 2/H 3 no 32 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 24 Minutes 46 Secs. 
3.
Quartet for Strings in G minor, Op. 20 no 3/H 3 no 33 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 27 Minutes 33 Secs. 
4.
Quartet for Strings in F minor, Op. 20 no 5/H 3 no 35 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 24 Minutes 26 Secs. 
5.
Quartet for Strings in A major, Op. 20 no 6/H 3 no 36 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 17 Minutes 11 Secs. 
6.
Quartet for Strings in B minor, Op. 33 no 1/H 3 no 37 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 22 Minutes 4 Secs. 
7.
Quartet for Strings in E flat major, Op. 33 no 2/H 3 no 38 "Joke" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 19 Minutes 21 Secs. 
8.
Quartet for Strings in C major, Op. 33 no 3/H 3 no 39 "Bird" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 22 Minutes 13 Secs. 
9.
Quartet for Strings in B flat major, Op. 33 no 4/H 3 no 40 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 18 Minutes 43 Secs. 
10.
Quartet for Strings in G major, Op. 33 no 5/H 3 no 41 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 18 Minutes 3 Secs. 
11.
Seven last words of Christ on the Cross, Op. 51/H 3 no 50-56 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1787; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 68 Minutes 34 Secs. 
12.
Quartet for Strings in D major, Op. 33 no 6/H 3 no 42 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1781; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
 Length: 17 Minutes 37 Secs. 
13.
Quartet for Strings in D major, Op. 20 no 4/H 3 no 34 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1772; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
14.
Quartet for Strings in E flat major, Op. 64 no 6/H 3 no 64 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1790; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
15.
Quartet for Strings in B flat major, Op. 64 no 3/H 3 no 67 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1790; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
16.
Quartet for Strings in C major, Op. 64 no 1/H 3 no 65 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1790; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
17.
Quartet for Strings in D major, Op. 64 no 5/H 3 no 63 "Lark" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1790; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
18.
Quartet for Strings in B minor, Op. 64 no 2/H 3 no 68 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1790; Eszterhazá, Hungary 
19.
Quartet for Strings in G major, Op. 76 no 1/H 3 no 75 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
20.
Quartet for Strings in D major, Op. 76 no 5/H 3 no 79 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
21.
Quartet for Strings in B flat major, Op. 76 no 4/H 3 no 78 "Sunrise" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
22.
Quartet for Strings in D minor, Op. 76 no 2/H 3 no 76 "Quinten" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
23.
Quartet for Strings in E flat major, Op. 76 no 6/H 3 no 80 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
24.
Quartet for Strings in C major, Op. 76 no 3/H 3 no 77 "Emperor" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1797; Vienna, Austria 
25.
Quartet for Strings in G major, Op. 77 no 1/H 3 no 81 "Lobkowitz" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1799; Vienna, Austria 
26.
Quartet for Strings in F major, Op. 77 no 2/H 3 no 82 "Lobkowitz" by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1799; Vienna, Austria 
27.
Quartet for Strings in D minor, Op. 103/H 3 no 83 by Franz Joseph Haydn
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mosaïques String Quartet
Period: Classical 
Written: 1802-1803; Vienna, Austria 

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 2 Customer Reviews )
 Good selection nd Collection January 1, 2014 By Samuel C. (South Orange, NJ) See All My Reviews "If you like to lsten to Haydn, this is a good collection. Well played, excellent reproduction worth the price." Report Abuse
 Not the best December 31, 2013 By James A R. (Oak Ridge, TN) See All My Reviews "I love the Haydn String Quartets, and disagree with the many rave reviews of this set. First of all, they leave out my favorite Op. 50 (Prussian) quartets. To me, Haydn is about grace and humor. I much prefer the Angeles Quartet's complete set. They have perfect intonation, great tone, and the sense of humor I want. I find the Mosaiques version rather sterile. My overall favorite recording of Haydn quartets is by the original (all-Japanese) Tokyo Quartet doing the Op. 50. Someone needs to reissue it on CDs. I do not like the sour tone of the Lindsays. The Tákacs and the Endellions are quite good. Even the very old Aeolian version is preferable to the Mosaiques IMHO." Report Abuse
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