Enjoyable music, expertly played
William J. Mertens | Bethesda, MD USA | 06/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"These quartets do have a place in musical history. They contain the germs of the ideas that developed not only into the string quartets of Mozart and Beethoven but also into the classical symphony. (In fact, the Op. 1, No. 5 quartet - on another disc in the Kodaly Quartet's Haydn quartet cycle - has been found with wind instrument parts. Haydn himself evidently performed it as an early symphony, not just as a string quartet.)But people don't usually buy discs just for a history lesson. The fact is that this early Haydn music is fun and witty and at times quite beautiful. And the Kodaly Quartet is a first-rate group whose performances can stand next to those of any other quartet around. We're fortunate that Naxos contracted with these Hungarian players to put out so many nice recordings, including the complete Haydn string quartets, at a budget price. Haydn's first four quartets are a good place to begin."