Search - Angeles String Quartet :: Haydn: Complete String Quartets

Best to hear first before investing

Alan Lekan | Boulder, CO | 02/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most reviews of this impressive set give a definate "thumbs up" for the performance. Penguin gives it 3/3 stars while ClassicsToday rated this work a perfect 10/10 for artistic quality/sound quality and Gramophone also rates it high (2/3 circles). Additionally, this quartet scored a Grammy Award in 2002 for "Best Chamber Performance." Many find these performances here to be among the best offered for complete sets.



However, there is some disagreement if the "ambience" of the recording sessions was ideal for the intimate dialog of chamber music. As compared to other recordings (Mosaiques, Kodaly, Takacs), the Philips recording here is best described as "spacious" and thus has a slight lack of immediecy. The effect is approximately akin to sitting in the 20th row of a medium-sized hall. Personally, I do not care for the sound-engineering here. It took slightly more effort to follow the separate instruments in these recordings than others. My guess is the engineers kept the settings from the first sessions to keep continuity through the cycle (versus the Naxos/Kodaly set which kept refining the settings). While no major reviewer (like Penquin) commented negatively on this aspect of sound quality, it baffles me why not. I agree with other reviewers here on Amazon who gave lower marks for sound. But it really is relative and what is important to you. For most people this probably will not be an issue and the outstanding performances will stand far and above any sound quality nuances. But regardless, before you spend $100-150 on such a set, it is wise to give it a "test drive" first on your sound system. Check your library like I did.



Those listeners who prefer a more "up-close-and-personal" ambiance might prefer the award-winning recordings of the Quatuor Mosaiques whose use of period instruments creates an incredibly unique, full sound with rich tonal qualities. (Op. 20, 33, 64, 76, 77 separately). You can clearly hear the separate insruments on these brilliant, all-digital recordings. Personally, I find the Mosaiques readings much more compelling for Haydn at least, but it is a matter of style preference. Where the period-instrument sounds of the Mosaiques are more dramatic, sharp and appropriately "edgy" at times, the overall textures and "flavor" of the Angeles Quartet is definately on the modern instruments side - smooth, polished and not as overtly intense. Indeed, there is more of a "symphonic" sound to the Angeles recordings here to my ears. So, with the Mosaiques you have sharper tonanily and more dramatic effects; while with the Angeles, more of a well-mannered elegance and poise. Also using modern instruments, the Kodaly Quartet on the budget Naxos label is also a superb choice and gets universally high marks too with playing that is of top caliber and good recorded sound. But, for Haydn's Quartets, the Mosaiques stand apart and would be my top choice overall - assuming you can afford the higher costing sets.



It may also be preferable for some to diversify such a large body or music by getting one or two CD's at a time of several quartets rather than the "whole enchilada" by the same quartet. I was happy I did it this way and enjoy recordings from the Kodaly, Tacaks and Mosaiques quartets. They each bring something valuable to the music. By the way, if you approach Haydn's quartets one CD at a time, you might start with the "Top 30" quartets that most music experts feel are his finest: Op. 3 (no. 3,5) - Op. 9 (no. 2) - Op. 17 (no. 5) - Op. 20 (no. 4,5,6) - Op. 33 (No. 2,3,6) - Op. 50 (no. 6) - Op. 54 (no. 1,2,3) - Op. 64 (all) - Op. 74 (no. 1,2,3) - Op. 76 (all) - Op. 77 (no. 1,2)."

An Entire Universe in One Little Box

C. Noble | Portland, OR USA | 09/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set is really quite exceptional. All of the works which have been verified to have both been composed by Haydn and which were originally written as string quartets are contained in this set. As an earlier review notes, the performances are from the Döblinger as edition edited by H.C. Robbins Landon for the complete Haydn edition, and in some cases the articulations and notes can be quite different from most of the "standard" available editions. If you're following along in the bound volumes of Dover scores (reissues of the Eulenburg editions) you'll find a lot of discrepancies. All of this minutia aside, the playing of the Angles Quartet is really quite good, and they do a good job of adapting their sound to the differing eras of the quartets. I think that many people will spend much of their listening in the sets prior to Op. 33, as these are much less familiar territory for the serious collector, concertgoer, and even quartet player. Op. 9 are particularly interesting, and the Op. 1 have many charms to offer. I whole-heartedly recommend this set for the countless hours of discovery that it will engender, and for the sheer excellence of the performances."

A recording of the decade!

R. Gillim | Underhill, vt USA | 07/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An incredible recording.In this day of more string quartets performing better than ever, the Angeles String Quartet stands out as a goose-bump-producing superior group. Their technique is, as you would expect, top-drawer. What really shines is their musicianship and interpretations of these works.The standing joke of playing Haydn quartets is "No one should perform the Haydn string quartets. They are too easy for beginners and too difficult for professionals." Boy, have they created a wonderful collection! Their interpretations are beautiful, without being sappy (for example, no cheapshot glissandos); expressive yet simple. And they adapt their sounds across the range of quartets. (Listen to the slow movements of the Op1#1 and Op77#2 -- wow!)For you string players who use the Peters editions, be prepared for surprises. Dynamics and articulations are often different, particularly in the earlier quartets, and the "licks" are just different. For example, in last movement of Op17#5 (I think) the Peters edition has an 8 bar first fiddle phrase. Ms Lenski plays a very different 6 bar phrase.This is a buy of the decade. Don't pass it up. Even you old grizzled string players who meet once a week to play quartets will be dazzled by these recordings."