This newest volume in the Leipzig String Quartet's Haydn Edition series presents Nos. 4 to 6 of Haydn's String Quartets Op. 9. The Leipzig String Quartet bring a real sense of liveliness and excitement to these works, and this CD shows that even Haydn's early works can stand out alongside many of his more famous later quartets.
At the time these quartets were composed, the "classical" sonata form had not yet been established; instead, drama and expression determine the action, and each instrumental voice within the quartet is as important as the next. Even when the first violin repeatedly takes the leading role, Haydn's mastering of polyphonic and motivic writing allows the lower strings to imitate and stand just as clear.
In particular, the D minor quartet (Op. 9 No. 4) captivates the listener with its scope for expressivity through the leading first violin part. The Quartet in B-Flat major (Op. 9 No. 5), in turn, begins with an extended set of variations in the second violin and cello, highlighting their individual sonorities.
