Quatuor Arod - Haydn: String Quartets Op.76 (CD)

For Quatuor Arod, the six string quartets in Haydn's opus 76 "represent the apogee of the Classical style, but they are also ageless, "presenting almost infinite possibilities". This Haydn project has been close to Arod's heart for a long time. "Haydn, the founding father of the string quartet, composed the op. 76 quartets in his mid-sixties. Representing Haydn in all his maturity, achievement and mastery as he exploits a broad expressive palette, they constitute a turning point in the history of the quartet as a genre." Within this Classical repertoire, the Arod's players sought to be "faithful to both the spirit and letter of these works... The modern bow, invented after the time of Haydn, did not allow us enough flexibility and lightness, which are defining features of his writing..." Arod's solution was to commission a new set of bows, based on models produced in the 1770s by the celebrated Tourte brothers. The players' instruments, which date from the 17th and 18th centuries, remained configured for modern practice. "The impact of the Classical bows was immediate: the articulation became more natural, the responses more flexible, the sound more transparent. The bows transformed our playing, which became lighter, more open and more free."

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1, Hob. III:75: I. Allegro Con Spirito
2. String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1, Hob. III:75: II. Adagio Sostenuto
3. String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1, Hob. III:75: III. Menuetto. Presto
4. String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76 No. 1, Hob. III:75: IV. Finale. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
5. String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, Hob. III:76 "Fifths": I. Allegro
6. String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, Hob. III:76 "Fifths": II. Andante O Più Tosto Allegretto
7. String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, Hob. III:76 "Fifths": III. Menuetto
8. String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2, Hob. III:76 "Fifths": IV. Finale. Vivace Assai
9. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": I. Allegro
10. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": II. (A) Poco Adagio, Cantabile
11. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": II. (B) Variation I
12. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": II. (C) Variation II
13. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": II. (D) Variation III
14. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": II. (E) Variation IV
15. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": III. Menuetto. Allegro
16. String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77 "Emperor": IV. Finale. Presto
17. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 4, Hob. III:78 "Sunrise": I. Allegro Con Spirito
18. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 4, Hob. III:78 "Sunrise": II. Adagio
19. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 4, Hob. III:78 "Sunrise": III. Menuetto. Allegro
20. String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 4, Hob. III:78 "Sunrise": IV. Finale. Allegro Ma Non Troppo
21. String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5, Hob. III:79: I. Allegretto
22. String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5, Hob. III:79: II. Largo Cantabile E Mesto
23. String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5, Hob. III:79: III. Menuetto. Allegro
24. String Quartet in D Major, Op. 76 No. 5, Hob. III:79: IV. Finale. Presto
25. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 6, Hob. III:80: I. Allegretto
26. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 6, Hob. III:80: II. Fantasia. Adagio
27. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 6, Hob. III:80: III. Menuetto - Alternativo
28. String Quartet in E-Flat Major, Op. 76 No. 6, Hob. III:80: IV. Finale. Allegro Spirituoso