Joseph Haydn: String quartets book IV op. 20 [Sun quartets]

String Quartets Book III op. 17-The autograph score of the Quartets op. 17 was in the possession of the imperial police chief Johann Nepomuk Neuwirth whose widow gave it to the Wiener Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1875. It is said thatHaydn ?used to play the viola in quartet rehearsals? at the Neuwirth?s house. Whether the Quartets op. 17 were composed for these gatherings can no longer be ascertained. However even today they stillhave a fixed place amongst the music of all chamber music friends and in particular nos. 4 5 and 6 which are very different to the divertimento style of the early quartets are played again and again.

Tost Quartets-The chamber music world has been eagerly awaiting this all of Haydn's string quartets are finally available in Henle Urtext quality! The last edition to be finished contains the String Quartets op. 54/55 sometimes also known asthe 'First Tost Quartets'. Contrary to what the opus numbers might suggest it is a cohesive cycle of six works. Mozart's influence is felt more deeply the forms are more diverse and the first Violin is every now and thenrequired to do real acrobatics. In this volume in particular several treasures can be found that are not often played.

Over a 50-year period Haydn composed more than 80 string quartets featuring a range and variety of structural invention exceeded only by Beethoven's works. In this volume the composer's mastery of the form is strikingly evident particularly in the six popular and much-recorded 'Prussian Quartets.'This volume contains the full scores of:Op. 42 in D minor (composed in 1785)Op. 50 Nos. 1 6 ('Prussian Quartets ' composed in 1787 and dedicated to the Prussian King Friederich Wilhelm II)Op. 54 Nos. 1 3 (First set of 'Tost Quartets' composed c.1788 and dedicated to the merchant Johann Tost)Large readable noteheads ample margins for notations opaque paper and permanent binding make this a fundamental addition to music libraries and musicians' repertories.Reprint of the Ernst Eulenburg Ltd. London n.d. edition.