The Leipzig Quartet on completing a Haydn marathon

Many genres have their musical Everests - be it a sonata cycle for a pianist or symphonies for an orchestra - and among chamber music, the name of Haydn is always one of the foremost. Widely credited as having single-handedly created the string quartet genre, he wrote prolifically for the combination of two violins, viola and cello. Over the years many quartets have produced complete recordings of all sixty-eight - and now a new set joins the pantheon as the Leipzig String Quartet's Haydn project, begun almost two decades ago, reaches its concluding volume.

We spoke to the quartet's four members about what this cycle has meant to them, how they approached the music, and more. 

When and how did you decide to record these quartets? Was it intended from the beginning to be a complete cycle?

The recordings of the Haydn quartets began in 2008 with The Seven Last Words on SACD. Initially, the idea was to present an edition showcasing the different creative periods of Haydn’s output. One also has to keep in mind the cost of a complete recording project comprising a total of 22 CDs! Thanks to a very generous sponsor, however, we were ultimately able to plan the entire project as a complete cycle together with MDG.

What is it that makes Haydn’s string quartet writing so distinctive?

Joseph Haydn essentially invented the string quartet as a genre and, over the course of his life, perfected, standardized, and established it as a respected form of chamber music. Every single quartet contains unique ideas, sound worlds, and an endless variety of possibilities. Each quartet is therefore a discovery in itself, offering insights into Haydn’s world of emotions, thoughts, humor, taste, and his expectations regarding the possibilities of performance.

Over the time you’ve been recording these works, has your thinking about Haydn evolved? Are there some from earlier on that you might now perform differently?

Of course our view of Haydn has evolved over time. However, this is less a change in perspective than the result of insights gained through studying and recording his quartets. One could say it has almost led to a love affair with the details, many of which are not immediately obvious. Searching for them has been one of the most fascinating journeys we could have undertaken.

Throughout this exploration, we have always tried to remain as close as possible to Haydn’s intentions and the musical text itself, while naturally incorporating insights from historical performance practice. That is why we also played on period bows. Consequently, we would not say that we would now perform the earlier quartets differently. On the contrary, we deliberately recorded the early quartets relatively late in the cycle, after we had gained a broader overview of his different creative periods.

How different are the various editions available? Do you favour working from a particular edition?

We worked exclusively with the complete Henle Edition. However, we occasionally consulted Doblinger and other sources and editions in order to clarify specific questions or resolve uncertainties.

Are there other recordings that have influenced you (either with things you liked and incorporated into your performances, or things you wanted to avoid emulating)?

It goes without saying that one studies recordings by other quartets and develops a feeling for their approaches. Recordings by the Alban Berg Quartet and the Hagen Quartet may have felt somewhat closer to us in terms of their instinct for Haydn, perhaps because they come from Austria.

However, one must not allow oneself to be tempted into imitation. Good ideas will naturally find their way into one’s own thinking, but every quartet has its own musical language. For Haydn in particular, it is essential to discover and refine that language for oneself.

Which is your favourite quartet out of them all? And please, no cop-out answers about how it’s ‘impossible to choose’... pick one!

Four players – four answers:

Stefan: Op. 20 No. 2 in A major

Tilman: Op. 20 No. 4 in D major

Ivo: Op. 76 No. 2, The Fifth

Peter: Op. 1 No. 0

Your other major focus at the moment is the chamber music of Joachim Raff. For listeners unfamiliar with his style, what should they listen out for and who do you think he’s most influenced by stylistically?

Joachim Raff was, of course, influenced by Franz Liszt. Over the years, however, he searched for his own voice—somewhere between Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Wagner. His affinity for song is also unmistakable. Listeners should therefore pay attention to the subtle nuances and to the possible imaginary text that may emerge inwardly while listening.

Now that this Haydn project is over, what happens next? What are your future recording plans?

There are certainly plans... but then the surprise would be gone! Perhaps a little more Mozart, and perhaps one or two discoveries together with musical friends of the quartet.

At the moment, we are on our way to Andorra, where tomorrow we will give our final concert with our long-time friend and partner Christian Zacharias. He is gradually stepping back from performing as a pianist in order to devote more time to conducting. We are grateful to have explored these musical worlds with him, to have shared so many stages, and to have produced wonderful recordings as a result.

The Schumann and Dvořák Piano Quintets, as well as Schubert’s Trout Quintet, are recordings we can wholeheartedly recommend.