The Chiaroscuro Quartet, formed in 2005, is an international ensemble whose members hail from Russia, Spain, Sweden, and France.
Compositional Technique
In these quartets, Haydn treats 'form' as a verb, continuously shaping the music rather than pouring material into a pre-ordained structure.
Interpretation
The Chiaroscuro Quartet performs Classical period music on gut strings, contributing to their unique sound described as 'a shock to the ears of the best kind'.
Compositional Technique
The C major quartet's first movement features the cello playing the melody, with the second violin and viola accompanying below it, creating a 'topsy-turvy world'.
Composition History
Haydn's six 'Sun' Quartets, Op. 20, were written in Esterházy in 1772, when the composer was forty years old.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Haydn's Op. 20 quartets are notable for their flexibility, variety, unpredictability, and sense of experimentation, rather than establishing fixed rules for future quartets.
Compositional Technique
In the G minor quartet, Haydn uses silence as a thematic element, with the quartet pausing at unexpected moments as if deciding what to play next.
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Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 20 Nos. 1-3 "Sun Quartets" (On Period Instruments)
Haydn: String Quartets, Vol. 1 — Op. 20 Nos. 1-3
Haydn: String Quartets Nos. 5, 36 and 62
Mozart: String Quartets, Vol. 1 – The Prussian Quartets
Mozart: Preussische Quartette
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 54 & 55
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartets No. 21, K. 575, No. 22, K. 589 & No. 23, K. 590 "Prussian Quartets"
