Haydn String Quartets Emperor, Lark and Hunt - CD Review

The Royal Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble, 1994.

Over 100 symphonies.
Bucketloads of piano sonatas.
And a treasure trove of string quartets...
Haydn was nothing if not prolific - I guess it helped that he was in the paid employment of a prince for most of his life, and could afford to simply "get on with it", i.e. writing new music for all occasions...

These quartets are delightful pieces, as indeed are most Haydn quartets - the Emperor has that tune in it (used as a hymn, and later, infamously, as the German national anthem under Hitler), and all quartets feature spicy, innovative scherzi, that would come to influence Beethoven's writing (if you listen to early vB and mid- to late-Haydn you will hear the influences!).

The Royal Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble do a fine job - timbres and tunings are warm and accurate, and the interpretations full of character.

Well worth getting a copy of this (but start with the Beethovens first!).

9/10.