Haydn’s Op. 20 string quartets may be the most important group of works in the history of Western music. Not only do they contain a range of form and expression unequalled by any other composer before or since, but they also established the very language of high classicism. Few later composers escaped their influence, and not just in the field of the string quartet. There have been many fine recorded versions of individual Op. 20 quartets, particularly the G minor, but no single complete set currently available stands unambiguously at the top of the heap. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some very good ones: the Hagen and Tokyo Quartets (both on DG), the Kocian Quartet (Orfeo), and if you like period instruments, there’s the Mosaïques Quartet on Astrée.
These performances are very accomplished too. The Pellegrini Quartet does particularly well in the three fugal finales, which truly are “sotto voce” but with enough dynamic inflection to keep the ear intrigued until the final burst of volume at the end. The Capriccio slow movement of the C major quartet also comes off with an impressive degree of improvisational freedom. The Gypsy minuet in the D major quartet has just the right amount of spice without excessive exaggeration, and the players know just when to add touches of idiomatic portamento. Not everything is ideal. The first movement of the G minor quartet needs a firmer treatment of rhythm to get the timing of the disturbing jokes in the development section just right, and the group’s timbre sometimes turns a touch raw, but otherwise there’s little here to preclude a firm recommendation for this very well-engineered (in all formats) program. [3/20/2008]
