Haydn's string quartets are not music to stir the soul. Nor do they tear at the emotions like much of the music of Mahler or Shostakovich. They are just music to listen to with enjoyment. I have been listening (with enjoyment) to the G major (Op 17 no.5), E flat major (Op 33 no.2) and C major (Op 54 no.2) string quartets in a new recording on Supraphon by the Bennewitz String Quartet, recorded during the past couple of years. I am an admirer of the string playing tradition of the Czechs, often heard at its finest in chamber music. The Bennewitz Quartet does not let the side down; this is warm, affectionate playing. For me: Haydn as he should be played, with no exaggerated dynamics such as one gets with quartets such as the Hagen Quartett.
When listening to recordings of chamber music, I often despair of my loudspeakers, where the bass part booms and the violins sound thin, scrawny, and distant. Not so here; the Supraphon recording and balance are demonstration class for string quartet recordings, and the sound reproduces beautifully on my Spendor speakers, avoiding the need for my wireless headphones. Supraphon could give lessons to the sound contractors of music conglomerates such as Universal, or Warner, where one gets the impression that the contractor records a rock group on Monday, a string trio on Tuesday, a folk singer with back-up on Wednesday, and a violin and piano duet on Thursday. Recording classical music demands a recording team that understands balance, and understands acoustic space, and classical music. Haydn's music is wonderful here. The Bennewitz String Quartet is wonderful here. And Supraphon completes the trio for a really successful CD. It will go in my "keep near at hand" rack.
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