A Little Bit on the Side

One of the great recordings of the Haydn quartets, op. 64 is by the Caspar da Salo Quartet.

There's only one problem. There's no such thing as the Caspar da Salo Quartet.

These recordings were sold in gas stations in Europe for about $3 each. (Yeah, even gas stations in Europe carry classical music!)

It was rather clear on hearing these that a great quartet (and opinions differ on who that might have been) recorded these to make some money on the side while having a tight music contract elsewhere.

And how!

They rapidly became a cult item for the excellence of their performance. In fact, it's probably the best recording of op. 64 on disc.

For the record, the smart money is evenly divided between the Alban Berg Qt. and the Quartetto Italiano. (I'd place my money on the former.)