The
Pro Arte Quartet
Recorded in 1935 and originally released as HMV DB2774-2780
Matrix Numbers: 2EA2539-I, 2EA2540-I, 2EA2514-I, 2EA2542-I, 2EA2543-II,
2EA2544-I, 2EA2545-I, 2EA2546-I, 2EA1312-II, 2EA1313-II, 2EA1314-II,
2EA1315-II, 2EA1316-II, 2EA1317-III.
(Duration
59'57")
Quartet
in D major, Op.20 No.4
Quartet
in F major, Op.74 No.2
Quartet
in F major, Op.77 No.2
Play
sample movement:
It
seems to me that the reprocessing and sonic enhancement of the 78's comprising
this series grows finer with each volume: the sound is richer and aerier
and there is greater presence and sense of staging. The music never disappoints;
the variety is beyond compare. How did one man conceive of such a body
of work?
Op.
20 #5 from the great "Sun" quartet series begins with a mellow
theme which dominates the entire movement. A nearly textbook example of
the "false recapitulation" ensues. A slow movement featuring
variations is followed by a short minuet. The quartet is capped off by
a mercurial finale in sonata form containing numerous themes with many
starts and stops in Haydn's typical witty mode.
Op.
74 #2 begins with a fanfare theme which is subject to considerable contrapuntal
development, but which is allowed to recapitulate nearly normally (or
as normal as Haydn ever gets). A slow movement with beautiful but rather
conventional variations is followed by a vigorous minuet and a beautifully
contrasted trio. The finale is a hell-for-leather prestissimo which never
slackens but does permit a short development to zip by.
Op.
77 #2, Haydn's last completed quartet, begins with a full, rich first
movement whose themes are subject to a long development and a regular
recapitulation. An agitated yet playful minuet encloses a suave trio.
A noble andante is subject to variations which never really stray far
from the theme. How Haydn does this while still maintaining interest is
a secret known only to him. Haydn's last quartet finale is one of the
most thoroughly developed movements in classical quartet literature, a
fitting end to one of music's most inexhaustible treasures.
Notes
and review: Bill Rosen
Find
out more:
Quartet
in F major, Op. 74 No.2 1st mvt - Allegro spirituoso
Download
our Full Discography Printable text listings of all Pristine Audio historic releases
Restoration
by Andrew Rose:
ADVERTISEMENT
Pristine Classical - bringing you DRM-free historic classical FLAC and MP3 download music since 2005
FAQ
FLAC downloads use lossless compression - when replayed or transferred to disc they are bit- identical to original recordings.
16 BIT files are at full CD resolution, identical to our CD masters.
24 BIT files are at higher, studio master resolution, identical to our finished master files.
Please ensure you can play our 24 bit FLAC files before purchase - try our test files here.
Not all media players support FLAC yet, so you may need to convert to WAV or AIFF before playback. See our FLAC help guide
FLAC downloads come as a series of tracks in a ZIP archive file.
Our MP3 files are encoded at very high variable bitrates using the LAME encoder or at a constant rate of 320kbps.
Each recording is presented as a single, long MP3 which can be split using the CUE sheet at the bottom of the page, adding track titles and other information.
CD writing programs such as Nero and Burrrn can write these files directly to CD with all track information added using MP3+CUE - see our tutorial
Alternatively a cue splitter program can automatically cut and name the MP3 into individual MP3 tracks
There are also media players which use the MP3+CUE system, allowing gapless playback of all long MP3 files - essential for opera and many other classical works
Save money when you buy several downloads together by using the following discount codes in the shopping cart:
Buy 5 or more - save 10%: Code: 85187052
Buy 10 or more - save 20%: Code: 12W07104
How To Use: Once you've made your selections, copy the correct code into the space marked Discount or Coupon Code in your shopping cart, then click the Update Cart button to apply the discount before heading to the checkout.
N.B. These discounts apply to all our FLAC and MP3 downloads only. Discounts do not apply to CD purchases
Our CDs are made to order on highest quality Taiyo Yuden Watershield CD-R discs, recorded directly from our master files
CDs are shipped worldwide by Air Mail from France. The price here includes all shipping costs - there are no hidden extras
Standard and Premium CDs hold the same quality of audio - the Standard CD comes in a slip case with no covers, the Premium comes in a jewel case with printed covers
Each music page has PDF covers for printing out at home
They can be found by clicking on cover artwork or scrolling to the bottom of the page
Always deselect any resizing options in the print dialogue of Adobe Reader before printing to ensure correct cover sizes
All payments are processed by PayPal, one of the world's biggest and most reliable global online payment services
You can pay by credit card directly with PayPal acting merely as a secure card payment processing facility
You can use a PayPal account for quicker, easier and totally secure payments
We do not recommend using the e-check option for download purchases as there is always a delay of 3-4 working days between purchase and receipt of goods while the check clears
Payments are charged in Euros and will be converted from other currencies at the current PayPal exchange rate
