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Stunning sound quality from the dawn of commercial tape recording
Notes on the recording: These recordings were amongst a set selected from the extensive collection of Brussels-based collector Jean-François Lambert as excellent examples of neglected European recordings of the early LP era which will appear in the coming weeks and months at Pristine. It's hard to conceive of a more delightful way to begin the series than with the Pascal Quartet's sublime readings of these two Haydn favourites. The appearance of one of these two quartets, the D minor, Op. 76, No. 2, on a set of HMV 78s issued in 1949, gave the first clue as to the recording date of that particular recording, and further digging revealed it to have been taped in Paris in November 1948. The second quartet here, the 'Joke' Quartet, is much more elusive, and I've struggled to find mention of it beyond the MMS disc from which these transfers were drawn. Yet I strongly suspect that it was drawn from the same recording sessions, as there is a continuity not only of both sound quality and acoustic, but also of occasional distant traffic rumble (formerly buried in the grooves) which is evident in both recordings. Whether or not this is the case (and the second recording was most certainly made either at the end of the 1940s or start of the 1950s) it seems we have no right to expect the kind of sound quality revealed by the XR remastering of this disc, which is nothing short of superb throughout, and conveys perfectly the finest nuances in these literally delightful performances. It is therefore all the more remarkable that the 1952 issue of The Record Guide commented sniffily about those HMV 78s: "although it is well played, the string tone is very unpleasant. The issue is said to have been dubbed from a tape recording." Well take a listen to our sample here, in which Ambient Stereo processing brings out the fine acoustic captured in this recording, and try to remind yourself at regular intervals that it's was made 61 years ago, and not in the 21st century...
Notes on the 24-bit download: Please see this page for test files and further information regarding this format. Although restoration work is done at a sample rate of 44.1kHz, we have upsampled the final 24-bit master to 48kHz for additional replay compatibility of our FLAC download. Our twenty-four bit FLAC downloads can be replayed in full quality using a standard DVD video player, a DVD writer and an inexpensive piece of PC software - see here for more information about replay from Video DVD discs.
Pascal Quartet biographical notes from Wikipedia
The Pascal Quartet was a French string quartet musical ensemble which took shape during the early 1940s and emerged after World War II to become a leading representative of the French performance tradition. It was named after its founder, the viola player Léon Pascal, and was occasionally termed the Leon Pascal Quartet. Throughout its recording career during the 1940s and 1950s, the personnel comprised:
During the 1930s Léon Pascal occupied the viola desk in the celebrated Calvet Quartet, with Joseph Calvet, Daniel Guilevitch (i.e. Daniel Guilet of the Beaux Arts Trio) and Paul Mas (cello). Pascal appears in the 1931-1938 recordings made by that ensemble. The recordings of the Pascal Quartet begin before 1945. The quality of the soloists with whom they recorded attest to the standing of the Pascal Quartet. McNaught said of them that 'due praise would mean a further search for words.' Record Year 2 (p.47-48), on the other hand, found many faults with their Beethoven cycle, which others have admired intensely.
Notes from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal_Quartet
Haydn - Quartets Op 76 No 2 & Op 33 No 2 musical notes from Wikipedia
Joseph Haydn's string quartets, Op. 76, composed in 1796 and 1797, were commissioned by and dedicated to Count Joseph Erdody. The six quartets are the last complete set that Haydn composed. At the time of the commission, Haydn was employed at the court of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy II; around the same time he composed his annual mass for Princess Maria Hermenegild Esterházy and the oratorio The Creation. Although the quartets were completed by 1797, shown by accounts of visitors hearing them performed in early 1797, they were not published until 1799. Correspondence between Haydn and his publishers reveal that there was confusion regarding the release of his quartets; the composer promised the London publishing house of Messrs. Longman Clementi & Co. first publishing rights, but a lack of communication with the firm led Haydn to worry that a Vienna publication might accidentally release the complete set of quartets first, causing him to lose money from London. These quartets are among Haydn's most ambitious chamber works, deviating more than previous quartets from the expected sonata form, and emphasizing thematic continuity, seamlessly and continually passing motives from one instrument to another (Grave 312). Opus 76 No. 2 Numbered as No 61, No.41 (in the FHE) and Hob.III:76, this quartet is known as Quinten (or Fifths) which refers to the falling perfect fifths that start the quartet. It is in the key of D minor:
The first movement is in D minor, common time and sonata form. The second movement is a ternary variation form in D major and 6/8 time. The minuet (in D minor) and trio (in D major) are in 3/4 time. This movement has been called the Witches' Minuet. The minuet is a two-part canon: the two violins play (in parallel octaves) above the viola and cello (also playing in parallel octaves) who follow one measure behind the violins. Haydn previously used a two-part canon with the lower string trailing the upper strings by a single bar in the minuet of his 44th Symphony. The last movement is in D minor in 2/4 time and in sonata rondo form. It ends in D major.
Notes from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartets,_Op._76_(Haydn)
The Op. 33 String Quartets were written by Joseph Haydn in the summer and fall of 1781 for the Viennese publisher Artaria. This set of quartets has several nicknames, the most common of which is the "Russian" quartets, because Haydn dedicated the quartets to the Grand Duke Paul of Russia and many (if not all) of the quartets were premiered on Christmas Day, 1781, at the Viennese apartment of the Duke's wife, the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. Opus 33 No. 2 This quartet in E-flat major, nicknamed The Joke is numbered in variously as No. 30, Hob. III:38 and FHE No. 71.
Fourth Movement The fourth movement implemented a lighter character, originating from Haydn’s first shift from the minuet to the scherzo. It also portrayed some new features in Haydn's compositions, for example, the Rondo form, which satisfied audiences since the form was becoming enormously popular at this time. In a letter to Artaria, Haydn boasted about his pieces by saying, they are “a new and entirely special kind.” The rondo form of the final movement remains true to its definition by always returning to the tonic in the refrain. It is also in a basic binary form, in which each section is repeated in the first refrain, and followed by sections in which the repeats are omitted. Form The "Rondo" results in an ABACA form. Chronologically, the first refrain (A) (mm.1-35) beginning in E flat major, repeats each section, (a) and (ba), forming (aababa.) In the first episode (B) (mm.36-71) beginning in A flat major, moves to F minor and finally resolves to E flat major at the beginning of the second refrain (A) (mm.72-106), which is almost an exact repetition of the first refrain (aba) with the only change being the omission of the repeats. The second refrain is not only the arrival point of the tonic, but is also the final point of modulation for the remainder of the piece. The piece then progresses to new thematic material in the second episode (C) (mm.107-140), but, again, does not modulate to a new key. After the new material, the final refrain (A) (mm.141-147), should be considered A’ due to the refrain material being condensed. The end is quite unique; this particular coda changes the tempo to an adagio (mm.148-153) then, in the conclusion of the piece, moves to (a’) as Haydn teases the audience, hence the name, "The Joke." The Joke At the end of the Rondo, starting at measure 148, Haydn implements a joke in this piece. It begins with a grand pause that makes the audience wonder if the piece is over. This is followed a sudden forte sixteenth note in the beginning of the adagio that shocks the audience. After this, the first violin plays the A theme of the opening phrase with rests interrupting the music every two bars. The rests get progressively longer, giving the impression that the piece is over many times in a row, making for an amusing ending. During this time period, it has been said that audiences would erupt in laughter at this humorous coda. Haydn used this coda not only to make fun of audiences confused as to where to applaud, but also amateur musicians who were too "beat-driven," and what he deemed a redundant rondo form. Also, not surprising due to Haydn’s witty personality, this is not the only type of humor in the piece: this entire movement is filled with little “jokes.” For example, the large dominant preparation over a pedal base in the B section merely resolves to a small recapitulation of the opening theme. This toys with the audience and leaves their expectations cut short. Some may say that the only joke, besides the obvious ending, is on the people trying to find “the new and special way.” Others also argue that the adagio is a “remembrance of things past due,” hinting at the thought that it is time to advance music to another new level. Nevertheless, these carefully calculated humorous strategies give this piece its title “The Joke.”
Notes from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartets,_Op._33_(Haydn)
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