The Auryn Quartet, founded in 1981, has performed together for 27 years without any personnel changes, which contributes to their unified interpretation.
Composition History
Haydn's six string quartets, published as Op. 71 and Op. 74, were dedicated to Count Anton Georg Apponyi, a keen music-lover and violinist, who paid 100 ducats for exclusive use for one year.
Compositional Technique
To engage wider audiences in London, Haydn designed each of the six quartets in Op. 71 and Op. 74 with an arresting and unique musical gesture at the opening.
Historical Context
Haydn's Op. 71 and Op. 74 quartets were likely performed in London during his second visit, as the city had become a leading cultural center with a vibrant public musical life, unlike the more intimate domestic settings for which quartets were previously intended.
Performer Biography
The Auryn Quartet has an exceptionally broad repertoire, having performed over 150 string quartets and around 100 other chamber music works.
Critical Reception
The slow movement of the G minor quartet (Largo assai) from Op. 71/74 created a stir among Haydn's contemporaries, leading him to make a piano arrangement of it.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Throughout his creative life, Haydn adhered to the maxim that the human voice should guide even instrumental music, making his instruments 'sing' by translating the expressive range of bel canto singers into instrumental terms.
You might also enjoy...
Mozart: String Quartets No. 22 & 23
Haydn: String Quartets Vol. 2
Haydn: Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze
The Auryn Series, Vol. 30
Haydn: String Quartets Op. 71, Apponyi Quartets
Haydn: String Quartets Vol. 4
Haydn: Prussian Quartets, Op. 50 Nos. 1-3 (On Period Instruments)
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 9
Haydn: String Quartets Op. 42 and Op. 2, Nos 4 and 6
Haydn: Complete String Quartets, Vol. 1/3
Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 17
Haydn: String Quartets Nos. 23, 24 and 27, 'sun Quartets'
