We have met the super Ciaroscuro Quartet on a number of occasions, most saliently in Haydn in the first three of the Op. 76 Quartets here and in the balancing three (Nos. 4-6) here; but who could forget their Mozart “Prussian” Quartets, or their sophisticated Beethoven (Op. 18 Nos. 4-6, and Op. 130/Op. 74, “Harp”)
Haydn’s Op. 33 set is dedicated to the Russian Grand Duke Paul, the future Tsar Paul I, and have been called on occasion the “Russian Quartets”.
The Quartet in B fla, Op. 30.4 (Hob. III:40) begins almost in media res – we eavesdrop on a conversation between four people that has already started. There is play here – Haydn begins the recapitulation in the “wrong” key before correcting himself – and an exciting development in which the first violin (Alina Ibragimova) embarks on a Moto perpetuo:
The Scherzo is, as the BIS notes suggest (the excellent writer and Haydn expert Richard Wigmore) halfway between Minuet and Beethvenian scherzo; but it is the Largo that is the beating heart of the work. Ibragimova’s violin sings; modulations intrigue and touch. It’s only short, but how it speaks; and how it contrasts with the (here properly) Presto finale. As Wigmore suggests, gypsy music (listen to the crispness of Ibrgimova’s “snaps”) meets slapstick here. And the Chiaroscuro Quartet never let us forget that was well as the humour and sophstication, there is a decidedly rustic element to Haydn. Plus, the pizzicato close is both a surprise, and delightful!:
The performance is genuinely exciting and intriguing, and captured in superb sound (at the Menuhin School).
The G major, Op. 33/5, is arguably more familiar. It is certainly sophisticated, beginning with a final cadence (!). There is a contrasting second subject here (more often found in Mozart than Haydn), but it is the contrasts Haydn offers generally that are so delightful, plus the way he tosses snippets around. This first movement is substantially longer than any of the four of Op. 33/4, and has a sense of expansive investigation that is compelling, especially in these performances. There is also a sense of freedom towards the close that is remarkable:
The Largo e cantabile is beautiful, but also offers a sense of opera aria in the first violin’s cantilena. This is.symphinic movement in chamber garb, beautifully performed:
The Scherzo is light as a feather; the finale is a set of three variations on a siciliano (Mozart was to take up this idea in his D-Minor Quartet, K 421):
More Haydn/Mozart correspondences in the Quartet Op. 33/6 in D-Major: here, a 6/8 movement of the hunt relates to Mozart’s “Hunt” Quartet, K 458. The ebullience of the Chiaroscuro Quartet’s performance matches that of Haydn’s writing, beyond doubt:
[There seems to be a small discrepancy between the timing given in the booklet (6″16) and the actual duration (6″21) by the way.]
The Andante ie extraordinary, the muted opening almost ghostly . This performance is of the utmost profundity; the Scherzo, an Allegretto, seems to hardly dare to disturb it:
The finale is in double variation form: two themes, one D-Major characterised by a large leap from violin 1, and a D-Minor theme on cello (which also, though, features a downward leap). A movement of light and shade that emerges freshly-minted here:
With their use of gut strings and authentic bows, the Chiaroscuro Quartet (Alina Ibragimova, Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux, violins; Emlie Hörnlund, viola; Claire Thiron, cello) brings new light to these scores. They can, it seems, do no wrong.
The Chiarosuro Quartet will play Beethoven Op. 130 (with the Große Fuge) and the Brahms Piano Quintet (with Cêdric Tiberghien) at the Wigmore Hall though (see this page for more details)
This superb disc is available at Amazon here. Streaming below.
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