Movement III (“Largo”) of Op. 17 No. 6 in D is exquisite – and that despite the fact that its tempo is much slower than I usually like.
I think it’s because the solo violin passages in this movement are splendid. The entire movement is captivating, quite emotional.
I liked Movement I (“Presto”) and Movement II (“Menuet”) of No. 6, but it wasn’t until Movement III that I really sat up and took notice. A lone violin, played slowly and mournfully will do that to me. A solo piano does it, too. A lot of Chopin moves me like that.
Movement IV (“Finale: Allegro”) was an invigorating way to end a truly beautiful composition. It ends in a most fascinating way, too. At about the 4:05 mark, a single violin note – seemingly rendered by mistake – is the last thing heard after a rousing chorus of two violins, a viola, and a cello. It was like the movement just petered out and that one lone violin was the last one to expire. FAVORITE!
Haydn String Quartet Op. 17 No. 3 in E Flat couldn’t hold a candle to No. 6, although it tried pretty hard. Movement I (“Andante grazioso”) is a tempo I’m not familiar with. Let me look it up.
I did. According to the Wikipedia article on Italian tempo markings, it means “gracefully.” And it certainly is. But no more so than Movement II (“Menuet: Allegretto”). In fact, they sound about the same. The only movemenet in No. 3 that sounds different is Movement IV (“Allegro di molto”), which in Italian means “moderately fast” and “”much” or “very quick.”
No. 5 was pleasant. But it wasn’t my favorite of the three string quartets today. I did like the more sprightly Movement IV (“Finale: Presto”), though.
Overall, I found Op. 17 to be very enjoyable. Like their more famous Op. 20 brethren, Op. 17 has a mature, hefty, well-intentioned, and – for want of a better word – meaty feel to them. If Op. 1 is a McDonald’s cheeseburger, Op. 17 is a Burger King Whopper. It just feels more substantive.
Here’s what I listened to today, in this order:
Haydn String Quartet Op 17 No 6 in D
Haydn String Quartet Op 17 No 3 in E Flat
Haydn String Quartet Op 17 No 5 in G
As I have in previous posts, I can’t forget to introduce the members of the Buchberger Quartet (their site is in German):
Hubert Buchberger violin
Julia Greve violin
Joachim Etzel viola
Helmut Sohler cello
The other players in the quartet do not have their own web sites, apparently. So, no link to them. Sorry.