Schubert’s final quartet and Haydn’s relatively early G minor quartet from Op. 20 are not such an odd coupling as they appear to be on paper, for each work embodies extreme mood shifts and inventive disquiet. In the Schubert first-movement introduction, the Tetzlaff Quartet’s dynamic acuity and rhythmic focus set the stage for a performance that manages to convey both dancing lilt and ghostly introspection, and with the long exposition repeat observed. The stunning cohesion of attacks and releases in the Andante’s sustained chords compensates for moments when the lack of vibrato seems more like a concession to period-performance fashion than an expressive choice. Expression, however, rises to intense heights in the movement’s dramatic outbursts.
Although I admire the players’ delicacy and soft interplay in the Scherzo, they seem to ever-so-slightly slow down certain repeated-note phrases, possibly to ensure the utmost accuracy. Their moderate tempo for the Allegro assai finale downplays the music’s tarantella character and whirling excitement, even though the unpredictable shifts between major and minor tonality are duly underlined, as they also are in the lighter, suppler Auryn Quartet recording.
On the other hand, the Tetzlaffs rightly resist pushing the Allegro molto Haydn G minor finale into Presto territory, yet the music’s vitality comes across through specific calibration of articulation and balances. The musicians rightly feel the Menuetto “in one”, and revel in the pungent dissonances, while first violinist Christian Tetzlaff flicks off the Poco adagio’s soloistic passages with an almost offhand, improvisational flair. And the opening Allegro con spirito movement features marvelous soft playing in the exposition’s second subject, where the harmonic surprises acquire subtle shades of color. Yes, some of the outsize subito pianos arguably belabor the obvious and draw attention to the performers rather than to the composer, but that doesn’t happen often. In all, these superbly engineered interpretations can be recommended for their fusion, technical finesse, thoughtful preparation, and musical insights.
