Ron Chaplin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>I like the Mozart: very pleasant works, very tuneful, but, for me, nothing
>very memorable; something nice to put on while having company or reading.
>The performances are mellow and laid back.

The Haydn set are some of Mozart's best quartets.  Assuming you are
not a seasoned listener to the classical-period (Haydn, Mozart early
Beethoven)--I apologize if this is the wrong assumption--, one (maybe
rather perverse) suggestion is to start with Haydn quartets rather than
Mozart.  The problem here is that the real music lives under the surface,
and the surface brilliance of Mozart is obscuring what's really interesting
underneath.  Haydn does not have the same smooth and pleasant surface
texture as Mozart, so with him you are almost forced to pay attention to
the structural and harmonic architecture of the music.  Once you develop
that kind of listening skill, you can go back and try the Mozart quartets
again (Haydn's quality is also more consistent than Mozart, esp.  in sets
like Op.20, Op.76).

Another thing which might help is reading a good book on classical style;
Rosen's "Classical Style" is excellent and cheap, with a focus on Haydn and
Mozart string quartets as examples.

Ulvi
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