The high spirits of the opening movement of Haydn’s String Quartet, Op. 77 No. 1 are totally infectious and the playing of the ‘original’ Takacs Quartet is without peer – with sweep and a vocalism so particular to their ensemble.
FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN
1String Quartet in G major, Op. 77 No. 1
String Quartet in F major, Op. 77 No. 2
String Quartet in D minor, Op. 103 (incomplete)
Takács Quartet
Gábor Takács-Nagy, violin I
Károly Schranz, violin II
Gábor Ormai, viola
András Fejér, cello
Recording producer: Chris Hazell
Recording engineer: Jonathan Stokes
Tape editor: Sally Drew
Recording location: Church Studios, Crouch End, London, June 1989
‘The Takacs Quartet come into their own in the lusty, swinging Menuettos, kicking all the time over into the spirit of scherzo. Gabor Takacs-Nagy’s first violin, thrilling throughout in its diamantine intonation, leaps from open string to the heights for the Minuet of No. 1, and finds a nice balance of balm and fragmentation in the Op. 103 movements.’ Gramophone