大象传媒

Donald Macleod's survey of Haydn's String Quartets reaches the composer's Opus 76 series, a high point in the final decade of his life.

From his opus 0 and opus 1 of the 1750s to his unfinished opus 103 of 1803, Haydn鈥檚 68 string quartets span the major part of his compositional life. While he wasn鈥檛 the inventor of the form, he鈥檚 fully deserving of the epithet, the 鈥渇ather of the string quartet鈥� as he elevated the form to new heights. It鈥檚 his ideas that take the quartet from its 18th century antecedents to the conventions that are rather more familiar to us today. The conversational textures he created redefined the relationship between the four instruments. Always aware of his surroundings, and other musical influences, he used ideas and rhythms from folk music, dance, opera, the instrumental concerto and other genres for larger forces. He established a sequence of movements, and within them, adapted sonata form, as well as making use of the minuet-trio, the variation, the rondo and fugue forms. Original, serious, yet with his trademark, irresistible humour never too far away, Haydn鈥檚 quartets make up a unique body of work that justly receive both admiration and appreciation.

Across the week Donald Macleod enjoys a masterclass in string quartet writing from one of the great masters of the form. His survey of Haydn includes complete performances of opus 50 no 4 - a quartet written for a King in the grandest of styles, the brilliant and theatrically inspired op 64, no 2, and the spritely and playful Lark Quartet. The versatile composer produced opus 71 no 2 with the largest of concert spaces in mind, and the series concludes with the second of Haydn鈥檚 opus 76 quartets, the last complete set he wrote, and widely regarded as being among the supreme accomplishments of his career.

On 15th of August 1795, Haydn left England to resume his position of Music Director at the Esterhazy court. New challenges awaited him, but he considered the days he had spent in England to be the happiest of his life.

String Quartet in G major, Op 76 No 1
III. Menuetto: Presto
The London Haydn Quartet

Recollection Hob. XXVIa:26
Elly Ameling, soprano
Jorg Demus, piano

Symphony No. 101 in D major 'The Clock'
II. Andante
Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Robin Ticciati, conductor

Berenice che fai?
Sarah Connolly, mezzo soprano
Gabrieli Consort & Players
Paul McCreesh, director

String Quartet, Op. 76 No. 2 in D minor 'Fifths'
Chiaroscuro

Producer: Johannah Smith for 大象传媒 Wales