Mozart String Quartets

[Guest]

I’ve been sampling the complete SQs recorded by the Italian, Amadeus and Hagen Quartets. Leaning towards the Hagens as my favourite. Any thoughts from our Mozart or SQ aficionados? Is there a complete HIPP recording? (Apologies if there’s another thread somewhere: happy to be ‘merged’ if there is!)

[vinteuil]

.

... I'm not aware of anything like a complete HIPP recording.

There is (or was, I fear nla) a fine set with the Mosaiques - if you see a copy, nab it -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000CNTK4

And a nice collection with the Smithsons, well worth having

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000H6SU9U

[richardfinegold]

I was listening to the Quartetto Italiano in a few works after purchasing their big box. It’s fine but I recently played a collection by (probably mid sixties era) Julliard that I preferred. The Italians are kind of dainty by comparison. I also like the Guarneri Qt. Can’t help with HIPP recommendation

[rauschwerk]

I have recently acquired the 'Haydn' quartets played by the Lindsays, which I find most satisfying. I also have the last 10 quartets by the Chilingirians which seem to me a tad boring. As for HIPP versions, I have Nos 15 & 19 by the Chiaroscuro Quartet. I'm still undecided about the merits of those versions. I'm not enough of a completist to worry about the first 13 quartets.

[LMcD]

Some 18 months ago or thereabouts, one of my regular charity shop trawls resulted in the purchase, for just a few pounds, of quartets nos. 14 to 23 (5 CDs) on EMI Angel recorded by the Alban Berg Quartet. This has proved to be an excellent bargain.

[Bryn]

I have recently acquired the 'Haydn' quartets played by the Lindsays, which I find most satisfying. I also have the last 10 quartets by the Chilingirians which seem to me a tad boring. As for HIPP versions, I have Nos 15 & 19 by the Chiaroscuro Quartet. I'm still undecided about the merits of those versions. I'm not enough of a completist to worry about the first 13 quartets.

Strangely, the Festetics appear to have recorded 1 to 13 for Hungariton and the last 4 are to be found on the Arcana label. However, it seems they have not recorded Mozart's 'Haydn' Quartets. However the Mozaiques recorded those 6, though they are not the easiest to find at sensible prices.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I was listening to the Quartetto Italiano in a few works after purchasing their big box. It’s fine but I recently played a collection by (probably mid sixties era) Julliard that I preferred. The Italians are kind of dainty by comparison. I also like the Guarneri Qt. Can’t help with HIPP recommendation

I have the Italiano on vinyl - superb but the Philips CD transfer is , imv, over - compressed.

[french frank]

.

... I'm not aware of anything like a complete HIPP recording.

There is (or was, I fear nla) a fine set with the Mosaiques - if you see a copy, nab it -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0000CNTK4

And a nice collection with the Smithsons, well worth having

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000H6SU9U

Yes, I have that Smithsons set (5 CDs), which is very good indeed. (CD5 has the quintets K174 and K465)

Also the Chilis for the Haydn qs (3 vols) and last four quartets (2 vols).

[HighlandDougie]

Not HiPP - as in they play with modern instruments - but not uninfluenced by it, the van Kuijk Quartet's Mozart is one of life's small pleasures, as in:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-String-Quartets-No-16-19/dp/B01GVJ0CI8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=van+kuijk+quartet&qid=1620132912&s=music&sr=1-1

and

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Quartets-K-387-Divertimento-K-138/dp/B07WQ1N5QJ/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=van+kuijk+quartet&qid=1620133121&s=music&sr=1-3

with

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-String-Quintets-515-516/dp/B08DC5VS82/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=van+kuijk+quartet&qid=1620133121&s=music&sr=1-2

as a worthy adjunct to the two 4tet discs

[MickyD]

Strangely, the Festetics appear to have recorded 1 to 13 for Hungariton and the last 4 are to be found on the Arcana label. However, it seems they have not recorded Mozart's 'Haydn' Quartets. However the Mozaiques recorded those 6, though they are not the easiest to find at sensible prices.

Not sure if they are still available, but I have the 'Haydn' Quartets from the HIP Salomon Quartet on Hyperion recorded back in the 80s.

[Bryn]

Not sure if they are still available, but I have the 'Haydn' Quartets from the HIP Salomon Quartet on Hyperion recorded back in the 80s.

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/d...c=D_CDS44001/3 FLAC, mp3 or 'archive' CD-R.

[Richard Barrett]

I'm very fond of the Mosaïques recordings of Mozart quartets. I think somehow their sound is particularly suited to Mozart. I would love to hear them invite a guest with whom to record the string quintets K515 and 516, which probably I listen to more often than any of the quartets, although the recording by the Kuijken Quartet with Ryo Terakado is worth seeking out (it's on Qobuz).

[Bryn]

I'm very fond of the Mosaïques recordings of Mozart quartets. I think somehow their sound is particularly suited to Mozart. I would love to hear them invite a guest with whom to record the string quintets K515 and 516, which probably I listen to more often than any of the quartets, although the recording by the Kuijken Quartet with Ryo Terakado is worth seeking out (it's on Qobuz).

Have you tried the Salomons on Hypwerion? Not on QOBUZ, of course, but not overpriced, either.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Stri...s=music&sr=1-1 (cheper than on the Hyperion site).

[MickyD]

Have you tried the Salomons on Hypwerion? Not on QOBUZ, of course, but not overpriced, either.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mozart-Stri...s=music&sr=1-1 (cheper than on the Hyperion site).

I have those on CD as well as their recordings of the 'Haydn' Quartets. I wonder how they sound now...it's many years since I took them down off the shelf.

And after those, Hausmusik recorded the Quintets, and very nice they are:

[Richard Barrett]

And after those, Hausmusik recorded the Quintets, and very nice they are

Indeed that's a lovely recording too. I think Mozart made the quintet with two violas very much his own in a way he didn't with the normal quartet lineup. (And the Brahms quintets for the same instrumentation are among the few pieces of his I really like too, especially the G major.) I did listen to a few of the "Haydn" quartets in the Mosaïques recording this afternoon (not having the Salomon version), which improved my day greatly, although the bar for that was set very low by my having spent the morning at the hospital having my annual health check.