London Haydn QuartetCatherine Manson - violin
Michael Gurevich - violin
James Boyd - viola
Richard Lester - cello
       
The London Haydn Quartet was originally born out of a passion for Haydn's string quartets. Playing on gut strings with classical bows, they have received invitations to many of the most important concert series in UK, USA, Canada, The Netherlands, France, Germany and Switzerland. In addition to this, they have started several of their own concert series in which they have performed the complete Haydn cycle. Recently they have given recitals of Haydn programmes at the Wigmore Hall, the Cheltenham International Festival and at Haydn festivals in Lincoln and Lyon and the English Haydn Festival. This year they will also play at the Haydn Festival in Esterhazy.

In addition to their highly acclaimed performances of Haydn they have formed a collaboration with period clarinettist Eric Hoeprich with whom they also recorded the Brahms and Mozart quintets on the Glossa label. Recent concerts in this combination have included a reinvitation to the Concertgebouw, a tour of the USA and Canada including a recital at the Library of Congress and appearances in Serbia, Switzerland and France.

The London Haydn Quartet has recorded Haydn's six quartets opus 9 released in 2007, the six opus 17 quartets, released in 2009, and opus 20 quartets, to be released in September 2011, all on the Hyperion label.

June 2011

Press reviewsHaydn: 6 String Quartets, Op 9, Hyperion CDA67611 - 2 CDs

'Without a doubt one of the all-time great Haydn quartet recordings … The original instrument London Haydn Quartet play Op 9 with such deep feeling, dynamic subtlety and phrasal sensitivity that even the simplest of ideas become things of wonder. Passages of generic cadencing and decoration that often pass by unacknowledged by other ensembles sound utterly magical here, the enhanced expressive flexibility of gut strings revelled in to the full' Classic FM Magazine *****

'A sonority that seems brighter and less astringent than that produced by 'period' ensembles, but one that is still far closer to what we assume to be the timbre of an eighteenth-century quartet … Hyperion's sound is ideal: close, clear and free of harshness and any intrusive breathing. In short, this is an interesting and possibly controversial release, but one that shows the London Haydn Quartet to be thoughtful, provocative and technically accomplished' International Record Review

'I quickly warmed to the pure, glowing sound of gut strings played perfectly in tune, and to the ensemble's delicacy of nuance and sensitivity to harmonic colour, treating the listener as a privileged eavesdropper … Catherine Manson is a graceful and nimble leader … The results are delightfully witty and spirited, Recorded in the warm, sympatheic acoustic of St Paul's Deptford, these performances should win new friends for an undeservedly neglected set' Gramophone

'On this superb double disc set from Hyperion, the London Haydn Quartet's playing of the set is intense, passionate and revelatory. It is difficult to imagine finer interpretations of these occasionally formulaic but always melodically colourful works. The quartet - comprising Catherine Manson and Margaret Faultless on violin, James Boyd on viola and Jonathan Cohen on cello - play on gut strings with classical bows. There is to be found none of the reserve or prissiness that can sometimes characterise period performance. The sound here is bright, resonant and gritty, the lack of vibrato adding a spicy, piquant tang to the ensemble timbre. The bowing is confident; tempi are firm and steady, yet subtle inflections and rhythmic manipulations crank up the drama to breaking point' MusicOHM.com


Concert reviews

‘The London Haydn Quartet played an all-Mozart program at the Library that was virtually detonating with musicianship and fresh ideas... Joined by early-clarinet virtuoso Eric Hoeprich, the Quartet’s solution was to highlight the personalities of the individual players, resulting in music that was absorbing and genuinely honest. Or, in a word: authentic...But the high point was the radiant Clarinet Quintet in A Major K.405, played by Hoeprich on a recreation of an 18th Century basset clarinet. With its peculiar bulbous end, the thing looks downright cartoonish, but its sound just shimmers in the ears -- and Hoeprich’s mastery of the piece made a perfect close to an altogether fascinating evening.’
Stephen Brookes The Washington Post, May 1 2006

‘There were two great Haydn quartets in this lunchtime concert: the D major op.76 no.5 and before it the D minor op.9 no.4. The latter, unconscionably, is rarely heard in comparison with its illustrious companion. Catherine Manson, the quartet's leader, introduced it as 'one of our absolute favourites'; Hans Keller, in The Great Haydn Quartets (Dent 1986), called it 'the first great string quartet in the history of music'. He would surely have approved of this period-instrument performance: eloquent, vital and occasionally humorous. All Haydn's hallmarks are in place: the harmonic sidesteps, the rhythmic, wrong-footing inventiveness, the stream of melody now succinct, now extended. The London Haydn Quartet was everywhere alive to this cornucopia, in the subtly nuanced shaping of phrases, the enjoyment of interrupted cadencesand the sheer gusto of the finale, with its constant conversational passing of phrases between instruments.In the later work the insights of period performance were particularly evident. With this vibrato-less playing (bar the odd expressive dab) the lilting opening, for example, acquired a captivating rustic simplicity. Chordal harmony, thus unadorned, and given the exceptionally good intonation of these players, became all the richer, something especially effective in the small harmonic miracles of the slow movement. Indeed, it was a feature of both these performances that, for all the fire and energy within them, there was always a beguiling lightness and clarity to the textures. This was superlative Haydn, present in all his many colours.’
Tim Homfray - The Strad magazine, February 2005 ST JOHN'S, SMITH SQUARE, LONDON 30 SEPTEMBER 2004

‘...they chose three quartets, each of which showed off Haydn's developing style and their own intelligent musicianship ...they really made their mark, interpreting the composer’s textural experiments with confidence and charm ... playing with clarity and character ...the final presto leapt up and cracked back down superbly’. The Times, May 2003

‘The London Haydn Quartet play with grace, wit and great accuracy. The works of Haydn need all these qualities, and it is wonderful to hear the huge range of quartets that can be approached with such fire and verve, on historical instruments but with a modern standard of playing. I wish the Quartet a great future.’
Sir Roger Norrington

‘Four Haydn quartets performed by the London Haydn Quartet: if the players aren't exceptional they don't deserve to use the name. They were exceptional. They began with the Quartet in F major op.17 no.2, and straight away showed Haydn at his sunniest in a performance full of vitality and subtlety. This was gut-stringed playing imbued with transparency of texture, in which the seeming conventions of ccompaniment, the arpeggiated inner parts, the repeated cello notes, became as eloquent and vital as the melodic line. In the opening of the F minor Quartet op.20 no.5 agitation was articulated by the first violin, but again much of the musical direction was generated by the middle parts and propelled by the cello. The music always pressed ahead: the slow movement, for all its adagio marking, flowed onwards with a haunting simplicity, and in the finale the severity of the counterpoint took precedence over easy drama. In the Quartet in D minor op.42, by contrast, there was a good deal of drama. At some moments the first movement seemed as though it might stop: there are few silences in the score but they seemed many and poignant in this performance. In the E flat major Quartet op.76. no.6 there were moments of energetic muscularity: parts of the first movement sounded like music for a morris dance. The Adagio was the emotional crux of the evening. The emphasis on line, clarity and movement found its fulfilment in a performance that moved from sublimely beautiful to wrenchingly tragic without slipping out of scale. The rhythmic games of the finale were sheer energetic fun.’
The Strad magazine, June 2005
WIGMORE HALL, LONDON 12 FEBRUARY 2005

‘...rapt and concentrated playing throughout’
Bristol Evening Post, March 2003


Mozart and Brahms clarinet quintets with Eric Hoeprich (GLOSSA 920607) :

‘...the laurel wreath is awarded to Hoeprich and his colleagues for not only the nobility and vitality of this release, but also for his exceptional insight into the emotional content of these two works. Additionally, the shaping of the melodic contours by these expressively adept performers further commends what are already vivid, introspective, and sophisticated readings.’
Michael Carter Fanfare magazine October 2006

‘10 out of 10 ...in every respect, a dream cd.’
Luister Magazine, September 2006

CD selected for 'Building a Library'
BBC radio CD Review programme, 8 July 2006

‘Zwei wundervolle Kompositionen für Klarinette, mehr: zwei ganz zentrale Kammermusikwerke - die Klarinettenquintette von Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart und Johannes Brahms. Eric Hoeprich und das London Haydn Quartet verwenden Instrumente, die den damaligen Kompositions- und Aufführungsbedingungen sehr nahe kommen.
‘Ein harmonisches, historisch präzises und spannendes Klangbild, jenseits des Instrumentariums vor allem aber eine künstlerisch berückende Leistung: Klarinetten- und Streicherklang verschmelzen zu einem dunklen, satten, glutvollen, aber auch zärtlichen Sound, der sich immer wieder aus sich selbst heraus kreiert und fortspinnt. Außerdem Ensemblespiel auf bezauberndem Niveau, Phrasen und Bögen von gefühlter Zeitlosigkeit. Und zweifellos zwei Stücke, bei denen es sich lohnt, mehrere Einspielungen im Regal stehen zu haben.’
Annika Täuschel Bayern 4 Klassik, July 2006

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ProgrammesThere are many ways to compose exciting programmes of Haydn’s string quartets. The London Haydn Quartet’s ideas include:

• A chronological selection showing development from the early divertimentos (0p.1) to Haydn’s final re-invention of the medium (op.77). This would be most effective through a concert series. For example, in three concerts the quartet could offer one work from each set:
Concert 1 - op.1 op.9 op.17 op.20
Concert 2 - op.33 op.50 op.54/55
Concert 3 - op.64 op.71/74 op.76/77

• There are 42 Haydn quartets that Hans Keller suggests are “masterpieces”. These could be arranged into 14 programmes (see below), either for individual concerts or to make series of concerts. Programmes could be chosen to be most musically satisfying. For example, to take into account aspects such as key relationships between works, sonorities, and chronology. In the suggestions below sometimes these are contrasted; for example, 64.1 C major - 50.4 F sharp minor - 76.5 D major, where the F sharp work will sound strange after C major and the D major work following has a very famous F sharp slow movement.

Suggested concert programmes :

54.1 G major
9.4 D minor
77.2 F major

33.6 D major
64.2 B flat major
76.1 G major

64.4 G major
20.2 C major
76.6 E flat major

50.6 D major
64.3 B flat major
71.3 E flat major

33.2 E flat major
76.4 B flat major
55.2 F minor

33.3 C major
20.1 E flat major
64.5 D major

33.5 G major
55.3 B flat major
76.2 D minor

50.5 F major
42 D minor
77.1 G major

55.1 A major
20.4 D major
74.3 G major

64.1 C major
50.4 F sharp minor
76.5 D major

50.3 E flat major
33.1 B flat major
71.2 D major

50.1 B flat major
20.5 F minor
76.3 C major

20.6 A major
64.6 E flat major
54.3 E major

71.1 B flat major
20.3 G minor
54.2 C major

• Alternatively, the complete series of quartets (i.e. 57 quartets + “Seven Last Words”) could be presented in approximatly 19 concerts

• The London Haydn Quartet is also keen to present more rarely played works that they feel should be better known! These include Op.9 and 17 as well as many from Op 50 and 64.

• Programmes could be designed to illustrate particular themes. For example “Haydn in London”; this would comprise works either written for or composed in London.

• Complete sets. With a two concert series it is possible to play a complete set. It is fascinating to see how even with works composed around the same time there are enormous contrasts. Sets that work well played together include Op.20, Op.33, and Op.50.

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Recordings

Haydn: 6 String Quartets, Op 17
Hyperion CDA67722 - 2 CDs
Released June 2009

London Haydn Quartet

Recorded in August 2008
at St George's, Brandon Hill, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Philip Hobbs
Total duration : 147 minutes 22 seconds


 
Haydn: 6 String Quartets, Op 9
Hyperion CDA67611 - 2 CDs
October 2007 release

The London Haydn Quartet

Recorded in February 2007
St Paul's Church, Deptford, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Ben Turner
Engineered by Philip Hobbs
Release date: October 2007
Total duration: 131 minutes 15 seconds


 
MOZART & BRAHMS
Clarinet Quintets
Glossa GCD 920607

Eric Hoeprich, basset clarinet in A
& Ottensteiner-Bärmann system clarinets

The London Haydn Quartet

Recorded at St Martin’s Church, East Woodhay, Hampshire (England)
September 2004
Playing time: 71'37

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Programmes and availabiliy, 2012 & 2013In 2012 and 2013 the London Haydn Quartet's programmes will be giving priority to Haydn's opus 33 & 50. Beethoven's opus 18 quartets will also be availble, as well as several of Beethoven's late quartets - opp. 95, 127, 130, 132 & 135 with the Grosse Fugue.

Haydn's opus 9, 17 & 20 will remain availble for all those unconditional fans of the quartet's recordings of these opi on the Hyperion label, opus 20 being released in September 2011.

Periods still available:
25 June - 9 July 2012
10 July - 31 August 2012 - some dates still available

22 - 27 October 2012
7 - 9 & 12 - 16 November 2012

1 - 12 January 2013
29 January - 19 February 2013
1 - 11 April 2013
1 - 9 May 2013
29 May - 3 June 2013

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