The Compact Collection

<preform>Haydn: String Quartets Opp 77 &amp; 103 &#173; Kocian Quartet; </br>Mendelssohn: String Quartets Op 44/1-3 &#173; Talich Quartet</preform>

Name those composers most likely to appeal beyond the coterie of classical specialists, and I'll bet Haydn won't be one of them. Why? Maybe because Haydn prioritised form and invention over heart-on-sleeve emotion. If that sounds overly simplistic (which it is), ponder how few of Haydn's works have entered the wider musical consciousness, excepting of course the "Emperor's Hymn" ­ which many people wish hadn't.

And yet the musical evidence suggests that almost anyone with a good ear would profit by taking the trouble to listen. Spend time with the greatest of Haydn's symphonies, or more particularly his string quartets, and the sheer ingenuity of the writing, its wit and facility to surprise, is an endless source of fascination. Single CDs of Haydn quartets abound, but one that caught my ear features the Kocian Quartet. Haydn's last two completed quartets (Op 77) are among his greatest. The first opens to a cheeky march and has a minuet that clambers from bass to treble, while the second toys playfully with rhythm and includes one of Haydn's most affecting slow movements.

The Kocian's performances are cool, quietly stated and alert, and the same well-engineered CD also includes the two movements of Op 103. Different to the Talich Quartet on Calliope, whose vital pooled personality suits Mendels-sohn's three quartets Op 44. Here the accent is more on energy than invention, warmth than wit, though the musical structures are sound. If you're out to be shocked, or entertained with sophistication, then stick with Haydn. But if tunefulness, enthusiasm and a certain strain of sentiment appeal, then you can't go wrong ­ and note that this is the only available CD that fits all three onto a single, well-recorded CD.

Haydn: String Quartets Opp 77 & 103 ­ Kocian Quartet (Praga PRD 250 157)

Mendelssohn: String Quartets Op 44/1-3 ­ Talich Quartet (Calliope CAL 9302)