Supraphon

For all that there are wonderful things in the string quartets preceding this set of six in Op. 76, for me there is a new depth of profundity and invention here, marking yet another step up in Haydn's ceaselessly evolving creativity. Haydn had already composed masterpieces, some dating back thirty years before this; the quality and popularity of many of those such as the "The Joke", "The Razor" and "The Lark" are indicated by the very fact that they acquired those nicknames and in this set of six we have three undoubted chefs d'oeuvre all similarly given labels to denote their originality and appeal.