Tom Connor ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>My collection is missing Haydn string quartets and I've been listening to
>a local radio station play a number of the Kodaly performances on Naxos.
>Are these as good as they're sounding to me on a car radio? I'm curious
>how list members feel about these Kodaly performances.

I like the performances but I don't like the recordings - most of the ones
I've heard were made in (IIRC) the Unitarian Church in Budapest(?) and are
over-reverberant - OK for a BRuckner symphony but not a Haydn Quartet.

>Who else for Haydn chamber music?

For modern istruments:  the Tatrai on Hungaroton and the Lindsays (not yet
complete?) on ASV, supplemented by the Tokyo on DG for Op.50.  (The 1930s
Pro Arte recordings on Pearl get a special mention, but the sound may be
too primitive for you).

On period instruments:  I'd avoid the Salomon Quartet (esp their earliest
recordings which are really rather acid) and instead go for the Quatuor
Mosaiques.  I don't know if Kuijken has recorded any yet, but I head his
quartet do the Op.77 quartets live a couple of years back and they were
terrific.

The late piano trios are also wonderful and I slightly prefer the Harmonia
Mundi recordings (with 1/2 the Quatuor M) to the Sonys with Bylsma and I
forget who else.

>My collection of Haydn symphonies had been well served with Naxos
>performances setting a baseline from which I can leisurely expand into
>other performances.  Frankly, with many of these Naxos performances there
>is no hurry.  ...

Rush out and buy the Wo"ldike 99-1045 on Vanguard and see if you still
feel the same way about the Naxoses.

Deryk Barker
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