Maxwell Quartet - Haydn: String Quartets Op. 71 - The Observer

Joseph Haydn is sometimes regarded as a connoisseur’s composer with too little popular appeal, so it’s a pleasure to welcome two new recordings of his chamber music which I defy anyone not to enjoy. His String Quartets Op 71 of 1793 (Linn) are witty, skilful, and bursting with an energy that Scotland’s Maxwell Quartet capture to the full. Here at the start of each quartet Haydn grabs the audience’s attention – with a bold cadence, a single call to attention, or a brief slow introduction – and then explores the material with a deftness that leaves you smiling. The bare octaves bouncing across the texture in No 2, the cheerful folk dance of the Minuet in No 1, and the hilarious use of sudden quiet staccato notes in No 3 – all are realised with perfect poise.

However, it’s a big undersell to simply label this disc as Haydn’s Op 71, for after each of the three quartets the Maxwells add some evocative Scottish folk tunes, providing gentle, wistful punctuations between Haydn’s essays, beautifully serene. The excellent recording helps the quartet to sing resonantly but precisely.