Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76

These quartets, Haydn's last great quartet collection, represent a peak of musical achievement that may have been equaled, but has never been surpassed. Haydn invented the string quartet way back in the 1750s, and by the time he came to write these works some 40 years later, his mastery was so natural and effortless that it's hardly noticeable. All you hear are the great tunes, dramatic surprises, fresh rhythms, and ever-new string textures. These immaculate performances by the Tokyo Quartet went a long way toward establishing it as one of the most exciting young string quartets to emerge in the past two decades, and they have been superbly recorded. A classic set, then, and essential listening. --David Hurwitz