String Quartet No. 54 in B flat major, Op. 71/1, H. 3/69
String Quartet No. 55 in D major, Op. 71/2, H. 3/70
String Quartet No. 56 in E flat major, Op. 71/3, H. 3/71
The Hungarian-American Takács Quartet has a deceptively basic sound, without any special brilliance or expressive quality. At first it seems almost neutral in a scholarly way, with the wit in Haydn's exquisite minuets quite subdued. On this release and a companion album featuring Haydn's Op. 74 string quartets, however, there's a level of perfection that takes a while to sink in. These albums represent a kind of apotheosis of the ideal of the string quartet as dialogue, with each instrument seeming to inhabit its own sphere ...
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The Hungarian-American Takács Quartet has a deceptively basic sound, without any special brilliance or expressive quality. At first it seems almost neutral in a scholarly way, with the wit in Haydn's exquisite minuets quite subdued. On this release and a companion album featuring Haydn's Op. 74 string quartets, however, there's a level of perfection that takes a while to sink in. These albums represent a kind of apotheosis of the ideal of the string quartet as dialogue, with each instrument seeming to inhabit its own sphere but cohering completely with the others. The crisp outer movements, with their unexpected contrapuntal details, are gorgeous enough, but any of the three slow movements could be cited as the absolute highlight for its flawless intonation and elegant melody. Superb engineering from Hyperion (with, oddly, no recording venue cited) is an added attraction. Modern-day string quartet playing just does not get any better. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
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