The seventh volume of this complete cycle, due to be completed in time for the worldwide celebrations on the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death next year, is dedicated to one of the less well-known collections, Op.17. These six quartets of 1771 come between the first stirrings of Haydn’s invention and mastery of the genre to be heard in Op.9 and their flowering into maturity with Op.20, the ‘Sun’ Quartets. Taking note of recent scholarship, the Buchberger Quartet records the quartets in order of their composition, that we may more clearly perceive the journey from the soloistic, operatic drama of No.2 to the more contained subtleties of No.5 in which convention masks wit.
The Buchberger Quartet has been playing Haydn’s quartets since its formation in 1974, experience which tells in this constantly teasing and deceptive music.
Other information:
- Recorded in 2006-7.
- Issued for the Haydn anniversary of 2009.
- Analytical notes by the leader of the quartet, Hubert Buchberger.
