Op. 54…contains what is arguably Haydn’s most original work in the form: No. 2 in C major. The opening movement reveals the work’s astonishing range of tonality right from the start, but that’s nothing compared to what happens next.

The second movement is a passacaglia above which the first violin plays an improvisational Hungarian rhapsody of unforgettable intimacy. There has been nothing like it in the quartet literature before or since, and you would never suspect the work to come from the 18th century at all. The music is absolutely timeless…Next comes a curiously subdued minuet which is joined to the open-ended slow movement. Here, it’s the trio section that erupts, surprisingly, with the darkest and most intense feeling.

Op. 74 dates from Haydn’s London period…these performances are soulful, perfectly balanced, timbrally idiomatic, and beautifully recorded. This disc is ideal both for serious collectors and newcomers looking for a sensible place to start exploring these endlessly entertaining works. © 2012 ClassicsToday.com Read complete review