Recorded in California in 1959 (at the University of California's Hertz Hall, although the booklet professes ignorance of the locale), these performances date from a time when a somewhat denatured view of Haydn still prevailed: the genial "Papa Haydn" of legend was less of a flesh-and-blood character than the shrewd, sometimes frustrated, often far-thinking composer known today. The Griller Quartet, which migrated from England to the U.S., was one of the best-regarded chamber ensembles of its day, and it executes a brisk ...
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Recorded in California in 1959 (at the University of California's Hertz Hall, although the booklet professes ignorance of the locale), these performances date from a time when a somewhat denatured view of Haydn still prevailed: the genial "Papa Haydn" of legend was less of a flesh-and-blood character than the shrewd, sometimes frustrated, often far-thinking composer known today. The Griller Quartet, which migrated from England to the U.S., was one of the best-regarded chamber ensembles of its day, and it executes a brisk approach to Haydn without strain. It also offers a Haydn that's less gutsy than the one portrayed in many more recent recordings, but the portrait has virtues of its own. In these six quartets of Haydn's full maturity, the listener may wish for a more high-contrast approach at times -- for the players to dig in a bit when the viola and cello get meaty, rhythmic stuff in the outer movements of the String Quartet in C major, Op. 74/1, for the trios of the minuets to sound just a little...
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