Strung out on Haydn

My CD collection continues to grow. Now that everything is digitized, storage and retrieval isn't a problem. My only limitation is budget and the challenge of finding something that intrigues me. I have an enormous collection of harpsichord and lute recordings; I sometimes grow weary of the same texture, yearning for something else, something new.

Indeed, I especially love the texture of string chamber music. I bask in the expressiveness and precision that can be achieved with a good ensemble. So, it should come as no surprise that I have devoted more energy over the last couple of years to uncover the treasures there. My first acquisition–some years ago–was Beethoven's late quartets, and these remain favorites. Of course, there is nothing of Dvořák's that I don't adore. Debussy and Ravel couldn't (and didn't) write enough for this medium.

In searching for new repertoire it's hard to miss the huge collection of Haydn's. Haydn never quite makes it onto my "A-list" and I think I know why: there is so much of it composed across over 60 of his 77 years. I now realize that his genius shines brighter as he ages. As the Wikipedia article states:

Tracing Haydn's work over the six decades in which it was produced (roughly, 1749 to 1802), one finds a gradual but steady increase in complexity and musical sophistication, which developed as Haydn learned from his own experience and that of his colleagues.

(Sadly, it is difficult who to attribute this to. However, I agree with it.)

So, if one treats Haydn as a single body of work, it is easy to dismiss the genius of the late works due to familiarity with the glibness of his early works. There is no doubt that I'm drawn to the Late Haydn, and if I had realized that sooner and focused on that period, I probably would not have ended up with a mild prejudice against his music.

Enormous collections of Haydn's string quartets exist and are available at very reasonable cost. Although I claim my capacity is nearly infinite, I don't want to fill it with empty music I will listen to only once. When I read a review of the Gewandhaus Quartett's collection of "famous string quartets" I was intrigued: later works+excellent sound=good prospect. These three quartets are from Op. 76, his last complete collection, and are popularly named "Fifths," "Emperor," and "Sunrise."  One of these, No. 3 in C, is inescapable if only because its second movement has a set of variations on what is now recognized as the German national anthem. All three quartets are gems and the sound of the recording is rich and brilliant. This is what I was looking for. In fact, I find these three, which are almost exact contemporaries to Beethoven's early quartets, to be far superior. In fact, they are as good as the best of Beethoven's middle quartets, I think.

At the same time I ordered the Gewandhaus Quartett's recording, I added two recordings of Haydn Trios performed by the Florestan Trio. This really is a different texture, but it seems to combine the best of Haydn's solo piano music and quartets. I bought another recording by the Florestan Trio, of Dvořák trios, last year that I have planned to write about because it became an instant favorite, but have yet to get around to.

If these trios had been the first music of Haydn's that I listened to, rather than his "Surprise Symphony," I would have developed a serious appreciation for his genius much sooner. These are inventive, virtuoso pieces that really make use of the medium.  The second movement of the Trio #44, H 15/28 really stands out for its intensity and has the most gorgeous piano solo, wonderfully played.

The real test of music is if it draws me back to it frequently. All three Haydn recordings do that. Perhaps I need to explore this vast pool a little more deeply.