Haydn Quartet Society Recordings (1931–1938) – Complete Historical Edition

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THE HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volumes 1-8

29 String Quartets, recorded 1931-1938

The Pro Arte Quartet

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First Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 2 (1931/2) – PACM011

Second Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 3 (1933) – PACM013

Third Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 4 (1934) – PACM016

Fourth Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

When restoring these recordings from original 78rpm discs we always strive to use the best-quality source material. In the case of this volume, we had two near-mint sets of discs to work from. Thus should a problem arise with one set it would be possible to turn to the other set for a second chance to find the optimum transfer. In the case of the very first side of this set, I noted poor surface quality, with a pronounced swish, and a tendency to slight screeching in the strings. Naturally I immediately turned to our second copy and transcribed this, only to find exactly the same problems – even down to the swish reproducing identically on both discs.

In both cases the difficulties eased off around halfway through the side, and I can only put this down to problems in the mastering or pressing stage of record manufacture. As such the sound quality, whilst hugely improved, is of very slightly lesser quality for the first two to three minutes of this recording than I had hoped to achieve. I’m happy however to state that the 55 minutes of music which follow are delightful!

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 5 (1935) – PACM019

Fifth Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 6 (1936) – PACM020

Sixth Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 7 (1937) – PACM024

Seventh Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 8 (1938) – PACM025

Eighth and Final Volume of The Haydn Quartet Society

The Pro Arte Quartet, remastered for finest sound quality

To state that Haydn, more than perhaps any other composer, is responsible for the String Quartet as we know it – and from there the many other instrumental variations of chamber music of the Classical, Romantic and Modern periods – seems a very bold and sweeping comment. And yet it was Haydn who freed his quartets from the tyranny of the continuo and allowed his parts to move freely, without relying on the ‘gravity’ of a bass. It was Haydn who more or less invented Sonata form, and who developed the beautiful part-writing, following on from his own studies into earlier vocal polyphony, which is the essence of the string quartet medium.

Of his many quartets – one website lists 78 works for String Quartet by or attributed to Haydn – the Pro Arte Quartet chose 29 works to record in their ground-breaking 8-volume Haydn Quartet Society series, made for HMV between 1931 and 1938. These cover the full range of his output, from Op. 1 No. 1 (1762) to the two Opus 77 quartets of 1799 (the final Op. 103 remained unfinished).

Andrew Rose

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• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 20, No. 2 in C major, Hob.III:32

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 33, No. 3 in C major, Hob.III:39 “The Bird”

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 77, 1 in G major, Hob.III:81 “Lobkowitz”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Originally released in 1932 as HMV DB1628-1631 (1-8) and DB1634-1636 (9-12)
  Matrix Numbers: 2B2476-II, 2B2477-II, 2B2478-II, 2B2479-II, 2B2464-II, 2B2465-1, 2B2466-I, 2B2467-II,2B2468-II, 2B2469-I, 2B2474-II, 2B2475-I, 2B2472-1, 2B2473-II
  Duration 55:06

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 2 (1931/2) – PACM011

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 33, No. 6 in A major, Hob.III:24

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 54, No. 1 in A major, Hob.III:60

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 54, No. 2 in F minor, Hob.III:61 “The Razor”

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 74, No. 3 in G minor, Hob.III:74 “The Rider”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1931 & 1932
  Originally released in 1932 as HMV DB1927-1931 (1-12) and DB1632-1633 (13-16)
  Matrix Numbers: 2B3958-II, 2B3959-II, 2B3950-I, 2B3951-I, 2B3952-II, 2B3953-1, 2B3954-I, 2B3955-II, 2B3956-I, 2B3957-II, 2B2458-II, 2B2460-II, 2B2461-I1, 2B2459-II
  (Duration 62’56”)

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 3 (1933) – PACM013

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 3, No. 5 in F major, Hob.III:17

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 33, No. 2 in E♭ major, Hob.III:38 “The Joke”

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 64, No. 6 in E♭ major, Hob.III:64

• HAYDN String Quartet Op. 71, No. 1 in C minor, Hob.III:69 “Apponyi”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1933 and originally released as HMV DB12159-2165
  Matrix Numbers: 2B5500-I, 2B5501-I, 2B5496-II, 2B5497-II, 2B5498-II, 2B5499-I, 2B5503-I, 2B5504-I, 2B5505-I, 2B5506-I, 2B5507-I, 2B5508-I, 2B5509-II, 2B5510-I
  (Duration 59’25”)

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 4 (1934) – PACM016

• HAYDN String Quartet in F minor, Op.20 No.5, Hob.III:35 “Sun”

• HAYDN Quartet in E flat major, Op.50 No.3, Hob.III:46 “Prussian”

• HAYDN Quartet in C major, Op. 76 No.3, Hob.III:77 “The Emperor”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1934 and originally released as HMV DB2398-2404
  Matrix Numbers: 2EA477-II, 2EA478-II, 2EA479-II, 2EA480-II, 2EA487-I, 2EA488-II, 2EA489-I, 2EA490-II, 2EA481-I, 2EA482-II, 2EA483-II, 2EA484-I, 2EA485-I, 2EA486-II,
  Duration 57:35

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 5 (1935) – PACM019

• HAYDN String Quartet in D major, Op.20 No.4, Hob.III:34 “Sun”

• HAYDN Quartet in F major, Op.74 No.2, Hob.III:73 “Apponyi”

• HAYDN Quartet in F major, Op. 77 No.2, Hob.III:82 “Lobkowitz”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  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

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 6 (1936) – PACM020

• HAYDN String Quartet in C major, Op.1 No.6, Hob.III:6

• HAYDN String Quartet in E major, Op.54 No.3, Hob.III:59 “Tost I”

• HAYDN String Quartet in A major, Op. 55 No.1, Hob.III:60 “Tost I”

• HAYDN String Quartet in G major, Op.64 No.4, Hob.III:66 “Tost II”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1936, released as HMV 78s, D.B.3115-3121
  Matrix numbers: 2EA: 4510-11 4466-67-68-69 4462-63-64-65 4506-07-08-09
  Takes: All first take recordings
  Duration 57:56

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 7 (1937) – PACM024

• HAYDN String Quartet in B flat major, Op.3 No.4, Hob.III:16

• HAYDN String Quartet in D major, Op.50 No.6, Hob.III:27 “The Frog”

• HAYDN String Quartet in B flat major, Op.64 No.3, Hob.III:67 “Tost II”

• HAYDN String Quartet in G major, Op.74 No.1, Hob.III:72 “Apponyi”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1937, released as HMV 78s, D.B.3543-549
  Matrix numbers: 2EA: 5584-85, 5568-71, 5576-79, 5572-75
  Takes: 1,1,2,1,1,1,2,2,1,1,3,2,1,2
  Download ID: 177481
  Duration 57:36

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

HAYDN QUARTET SOCIETY Volume 8 (1938) – PACM025

• HAYDN String Quartet in B flat major, Op.1 No.1, Hob.III:1 “La Chasse”

• HAYDN String Quartet in E flat major, Op.20 No.1, Hob.III:31 “Sun”

• HAYDN String Quartet in B flat major, Op.55 No.3, Hob.III:62 “Tost I”

• HAYDN String Quartet in B flat major, Op.76 No.4, Hob.III:78 “Sunrise”
  Recorded Abbey Road Studio 3, London
  Recorded in 1938, released as HMV 78s, D.B.3768-3774
  Matrix numbers: 2EA: 7213-7222, 7246-7249
  Takes: All first takes except DB3769 side 1: take 2
  Download ID: 184067, 388862
  Duration 58:36

The Pro Arte Quartet:
Alphonse Onnou, violin
Laurent Halleux, violin
Germain Prevost, viola
Robert Maas, cello

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