Thread: Haydn Apponyi Quartets and Piano Trio recommendations?

Hello, and welcome to TC
If you want to listen to the Piano Trios then you only need one recommendation
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These are superb performances not HIP I grant you but just listen to the music

Originally Posted by socialmusic

Hello! This is my first post here after lurking for a while, so apologies if I'm doing something wrong.

Does anyone have recommendations for recordings of Haydn's Apponyi Quartets and/or Piano Trios? I tend to like to start with HIP recordings, but am also open to historically-informed-but-on-modern-instruments or anything well-played with personality and verve.

I like the Quatuor Mosaiques recordings of Ops. 20 and 33, and have their recordings of Ops. 64-65 and 76-77 lined up as well.

Not the Beaux Arts for the trios. If you want a complete set then Trio 1790, but it may be better to buy individual recordings. I think most of the earlier trios are not so interesting to hear.


I have never explored op 71, so I can’t help you there.

Fantastic period instrument recordings

If I had to choose just one recording of the trios it would be this


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I. For Haydn's Piano Trios--played on period instruments, like others, I'd recommend the box set by Trio 1790. I preferred it to the box set by the Van Swieten Trio on Brilliant. However, there are some wonderful individual recordings that you might want to sample as well, since I prefer some of those performances to Trio 1790's (& I've placed asterisks by those that are special favorites of mine):

--*Beths, Bylsma, Levin, Vivarte Sony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEdwzq7EzD8
--*Abegg Trio, Tacet (In the 1980s, the Abegg Trio recorded a very fine set of the complete Beethoven Piano Trios, on modern instruments, but more recently, they've been recording on period instruments): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rAA...dQP9Bep6IhFUoo
--*Trio Goya (on a CD is entitled, "The Heart of Invention"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q4C...LpT2Xs-EpgIt-A
--Höbarth, Cohen, Coin (2 CDs), Harmonia Mundi.
--Minasi, Emelyanychev, Toffano, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRLU...cV6Ieq6h7Wo6RE

(*La Gaia Scienza--the following CD is an excellent period recording of Haydn's Flute Trios"--entitled, "Haydn in London"--which might be of interest to you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ7D...08Mk9Kg7RNmMk8
https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...aydn-in-london. Unfortunately, La Gaia Scienza hasn't recorded the piano trios, but it's a group worth keeping an eye on.)

II. On modern instruments, like others, I'd recommend the Beaux Arts Trio box set. However, there's also a 2 hybrid SACD Pentatone set to consider that offers a well chosen selection of piano trios from the Beaux Art's set, and it comes in better sound (which is always a plus, especially in chamber music): https://www.amazon.com/9-Piano-Trios.../dp/B001U1LA2U. By the way, the Beaux Arts Trio Haydn survey was awarded a rosette by the old Penquin Guide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOkuBdW9O8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLJsz7SQf40

More recently, Trio Wanderer's (ongoing?) Haydn series is excellent, too. So far, they've released two discs, and they are some of the better recordings that I've heard from this group:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAtgVw5y1Vo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itz-...bQ_OM4yfRjFBeW
https://www.amazon.com/Piano-Trios-Haydn/dp/B001M5AT8A
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Piano-T.../dp/B079BJV362

However, when it comes to Haydn Piano Trios, there's an embarrassment of riches, so you may want to sample & check out some of the other options below: which are all musically satisfying, though I've liked some more than others (& again I'll place an asterisk* next to special favorites):

--Vienna Piano Trio (both on Nimbus & with a different line up, later on MDG--though I prefer the first line up myself):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb7x...oPLy6qYuPDnjFg

--*Arden Piano Trio (on Channel--this is a very underrated group, IMO. & btw, I've also liked their Ravel Piano Trio very much, too):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE2A...6NqdpA9nzd_34o

--Kungsbacka Piano Trio, Naxos (a complete set, & a good discount option, IMO):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-iJ...RqVpugFShjkCsg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3-V...OmCyviIA35NeaE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jbb...0wZtigQC_KO-Ew

--Haydn Trio Eisenstadt (another complete set--initially, I had problems with the sound quality on these recordings, but it doesn't bother me quite as much as it once did. The playing is excellent, however): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epMQ...nqSdy6wpQmt01R

--Shiokawa, Pergamenschikow, Schiff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-mFQ6cl_bk

--*Trio Opus 8, Hanssler (another underrated group, & they're very well recorded): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqNw...OW_vis9koFZfAI

Of interest, I recall that the pianist Rudolf Serkin once said he considered Haydn's Piano Trios to be on the same sublime level as Mozart's Piano Concertos--that's high praise, of course (coming from a great musician).

III. As for Haydn's Apponyi Quartets, Op 71 & Op. 74--on modern instruments, I've most liked the Takacs Quartet, Kocian Quartet (in Op. 74--on a hybrid SACD, which I liked more than their Op. 20 set on Orfeo), Auryn Quartet (in Op. 71 & 74), Chilingirian Quartet (Op. 71), and Prazak Quartet (Op. 71), and maybe roughly in that order; though I've never actually sat down and closely compared them, so don't take my order too seriously. I've not heard the Kodaly Quartet, but would imagine they're very good, too (& they get good reviews). The Auryn Quartet is arguably the best recorded of the group--in "Surround Sound" by Tacet (along with the Kocian Quartet on hybrid SACD), but if you prefer period & HIP performances, the Auryns may not have quite enough bite for you: https://www.amazon.com/Auryns-Haydn-...s=music&sr=1-6. I'd say their Op. 74 is competitive with the Takacs & Kocian Quartets though. Finally, I've not heard the Maxwell Quartet, which is a new Scottish quartet, but they've recorded both the Op. 71 & 74 sets, and have received glowing reviews for each. In other words, the Maxwells may be a top consideration here, too.

So, those are the recordings that I'd most recommend that you sample and read reviews for, etc., if you're looking for performances played on modern instruments. (While the Kodaly Quartet might be a very good discount option.)

--Takacs Quartet (Op. 71 & 74):
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-String-...s=music&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-String-...s=music&sr=1-3

--Chilingirian Quartet (Op. 71):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLrf...CfhHmTJCbemRbI
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-String-...s=music&sr=1-1

--Maxwell Quartet (Op. 71, 74):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeEwwPYTZXI
https://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Strings...s=music&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/String-Quarte...s=music&sr=1-1

--Prazak Quartet (Op. 71): https://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/8190

--Kocian Quartet (Op. 74):
https://www.allmusic.com/album/haydn...i-mw0001395152
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002KP4...cdinfocom08-21
https://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/2472
http://www.pragadigitals.com/JOSEPH-...Kocian-Quartet

IV. For period recordings of the Op. 71 & Op. 74 quartets, I'd go with the Festhetics Quartet on Arcana, who I've liked more than the London Haydn Quartet; at least, when I've directly compared them in some of the earlier opuses. However, I admit I've not heard the London Haydn Quartet in the Opus 71 & 74 quartets, only their earlier recordings. Unfortunately, Quatour Mosaiques didn't record the Op. 71, 74 sets. I've not heard The Salomon String Quartet's Op. 71 & 74 recordings on Hyperion, either, but some reviewers have written favorably about their recordings.

Festhetics Quartet:
Op. 71, no. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOUWnnu32T0
Op. 71, no. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmtKJhCmxTs
Op. 74, no. 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_T0gK2r1vs
Op. 74, no. 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Az6z7YFNY

V. Speaking of the Apponyi quartets and period instrument Haydn performances, have you heard the Apponyi Quartet play Haydn's Op. 33 quartets? I'd give them a strong recommendation in this repertory. If Haydn were alive today, I imagine he'd like these performances. (& I wish they'd recorded more Haydn) Although they may be too spunky for some listeners (which suits me fine, since this music wasn't written by a late Romantic composer, style-wise).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfKWJMmre8w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-AxcGEZ16Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbIvpdhY0qk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqwMfGS6VUk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SAbw_WkSWo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTKGDXhPxI0

Cuarteto Casals is excellent in the Op. 33 set, too, and interestingly, play on period bows, but use modern strings: which arguably offers the best of both worlds: https://www.allmusic.com/album/haydn...3-mw0001413120. Quatour Mosaiques is excellent in the Op. 33 set, as well. (& on the occasions when I want to hear greater tonal heft in the strings, and a slightly more romantic interpretation of the Op. 33 quartets, I turn to the Parkanyi Quartet, who are very well recorded on hybrid SACD. Speaking of which, the Panocha Quartet is also very good in Haydn, but I've only heard their superb Op. 55 set, and not their Op. 33.)

I've also liked the Schuppanzigh Quartet's period Haydn SQ series on Accent, but they only play selected quartets (in three volumes), and no groupings of any single opus number. Nevertheless, it's wonderful Haydn SQ playing, and again, I'd give these recordings a strong recommendation, as they offer more refined but not quite so earthy performances as the Festhetics Quartet. If you're curious, you can hear them on You Tube:

Volume 1:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg8s...B1iwwG_RKcXkJQ
Volume 2:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFbd...Ra7Ya0oN9YzTy8
Volume 3:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IWY...Fm4eY0BiTgkU4g

Quatour Mosaiques also gets a strong recommendation from me in Haydn SQs. Here's a link to their very fine Op. 77 set: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mgg4eF2mNk.

Finally, the Edding Quartet has recorded some Haydn SQs on period instruments, for Phi, as has the Amsterdam String Quartet, for Channel Classics. Both are worth looking into, IMO. But I don't think either has done a complete Op. 71 or Op. 74 set (not yet, at least).

Hope that helps.