Dr. Karenga Deborah Jones Gail Davis

Joseph Haydn: Russian Quartets, Opus 33 (Kodály Quartet)

over of his life composing - not counting
"Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross" . An amazing performance in itself, the estimate is higher than in Haydn's not focused on this genre or even be limited. More than 100 symphonies, plus numerous piano sonatas, operas, concerts, religious works: even if one considers that his professional career more lasted half a century, which is an enormous workload. It has set Haydn in some areas significantly more forward than on other signals. While, for example, concert and opera remained relatively traditional and there is the string quartet, the symphony and the piano sonata a tremendous process of development and unparalleled ingenuity, which has affected the younger generations deep.
from the years 1778-1781 are the six so-called
"Russian" quartets
, which owe their name to the client and dedicatee, the Grand Duke Paul of Russia
. Here, the development of chamber music of Haydn therefore reached its climax when, in comparison with the older quartets to fully passes to abandon the binding of the thematic material to individual instruments, especially the first violin, and instead, all four participants thoroughly involved in the debate. It is thus achieved in other words, emancipation, which was binding on the quartet style of the later generations. For while previously led just one word and the three others more or less nodded approvingly, now creates the kind of musical communication, which - would not it worked so elaborate and well considered - more like the "democratic" achievement of political discussion reminded: It falls to each other's word, not the other may be able to finish, is taking statements to continue as they see fit ... and sits in the middle of a desperate leader who tries to save with subtle hints of what can not be saved.
To stay in this comparison: In the case of the string quartet is the moderator, that is, the composer, of course, in a very different situation. Because of his imagination and his form of consciousness arises from the back and forth of the motives, and he can show off or give up as he sees fit, he formulated the attacks and disruptions. And besides, he may at any time the heat of battle defuse with a few humorous remarks - a procedure that has been
Theodor Heuss

and Konrad Adenauer almost disappeared from the political culture.

National Exhibition Joseph Haydn in his time, the Austrian postal stamp of 1982

How very, Joseph Haydn on the conformation, the six "Russian" quartets show all. They are all four movements, the first four compositions place the Scherzo and Scherzando (a fairly new and absolutely Haydn's invention) into second place in the last two quartets, they stand before the final, which means, in four of the six cases as Presto is. Once - in G major Quartet Op 33 No 5
- the composer's first leads listeners astray: The final movement begins as Allegretto and presents three variations on a lilting siciliano
theme. But then something happens entirely without unsuspected - yet still beats the tempo into a Presto, and in no time the work reached the end. In general one must, as already indicated, be prepared for some humorous showpiece. The voices of the birds Quartet C major, Op 33 No 3
are just as stubborn as the main theme from the first sentence of the first following work; unorthodox and downright ignored bold Composer of the pre-drawn triple time in the Scherzo of the Fifth Quartet, and the final Allegretto of the Quartet No. 6 is again a proof that can also lead to lively debates a good point, if only one regulatory hand at work. With a portion of any litigation, lack of seriousness is to be avoided, except where the dispute itself was the target. This is different then just the classics from the present ...

Source: Anonymous
, the booklet
CD 1, Track 8, op.33 String Quartet No. 2 "The Joke" IV Finale

TRACKLIST

 
 Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Russian  Quartette / Jungfernquartette 
 
 CD 1: On Streichquartette. 33 No. 1, 2 & 5 [54:41] Quartet No. 
 
 
. 29 in G major, Op. 33, no. 5 "How do you do?"  
 01. I. Vivace assai [6:03] 
 02. II. Largo e cantabile [4:50] 
 03. III. Scherzo [3:13] 
 04. IV. Finale [5:11] 
 
 Quartet No.. 30 in E flat major, Op. 33, no. 2 "The Joke" 
 
 05. I. Allegro moderato [4:50] 
 06. II. Scherzo [3:44] 
 07. III. Largo e sostenuto [4:40] 
 
 08. IV. Finale [3:43] 
 
  Quartet No.. 31 in B minor, Op. 33, no. 1  
 09. I. Allegro moderato [5:24] 
 10. II. Scherzo [2:51] 
 11. III. Andante [5:49] 
 12. IV. Finale [4:16] 
 
 
 
 CD 2: On Streichquartette. 33 No. 3, 4 & 6 [53:38] 
 
  Quartet No.32 in C Minor, Op. 33, No.3 'The Bird'  
 
 01. I. Moderato [6:59] 
 
 02. II. Scherzo: Allegretto [2:50]  03. III. Adagio ma non troppo [6:13]  04. IV. Finale: Rondo - Presto [2:55] 
 
 Quartet No.33 in D Major, Op. 33, No.6 
 
 05. I. Vivace assai [5:38] 
 06. II. Andante [4:55] 
 07. III. Scherzo: Allegretto [2:16] 
 08. IV. Finale: Allegretto [5:06] 
 
 Quartet No.34 in B Flat Major, Op. 33, No.4 
 
 09. I. Allegro moderato [4:32] 
 10. II. Scherzo: Allegretto [2:50] 
 11. III. Largo [4:19] 
 12. IV. Finale: Presto [4:58] 
 
 
 
 Kodály Quartet Recorded at the Unitarian Church, Budapest 
 CD 1: 25th to 27th February 1993 
 CD 2: 21st to 24th September 1993 
 producer: Ibolya Tóth 
 engineer: János Bohus 
 (C) & (P) 1994, DDD