#haydn string quartet

Haydn – String Quartet in d minor, op. 76 no. 2, “Fifths” (1798)

Haydn’s op. 76 was the last complete set of quartets he published in his life, written around the same time he was working on the Creation, and they show an old master working with the genre he had created and outdoing himself again and again. Here, writing in d minor, the tone isn’t as lighthearted and humorous like many of his other quartets. The nickname “Fifths” refers to the main theme of the opening movement, where the first half is made of two falling fifths. I always thought that was a really dull nickname, but listening to it more I realize that the use of this falling-fifth phrase gives Haydn the opportunity to inject this sonata form movement with a lot of compositional devices you’d hear in fugues, without disrupting the musical flow. It opens with this rocky theme, the fifths emphasized by a pulse in the lower strings, and each time it returns the “filler” with the melody gains more notes and weaves together nicely. There are a lot of cool moments in this densely compact movement, especially with the fifths theme being flipped upside down halfway through, a chorale passage, and a brief moment of uncomfortable harmonies that make you think of the shadowy keys Beethoven loved exploiting. The next movement is a stark contrast; a more simple, lighter and thinner dance with a lovely violin melody played over plucked chords. It’s almost tongue-and-cheek comedic, a “charming” salon work right after a heavy movement of archaic complexity. Especially in the middle where the music slows down over a diminished chord, the violin repeating the same two notes as if trying to think of a place to go. In the second half, the violin carries a flowy variation. The third movement is sometimes called the “witches minuet” because of its mildly sinister character. It is a perfect canon with the melody’s shadow chasing itself. It has a bit of a hypnotic swaying rhythm to it as well. The trio section is taken over by repeating notes scratching away in the major, briefly shifting into the minor, but ending with the violin crawling up into the high notes. The last movement is like the “opposite” of the sophistication that opened the work, another example of Viennese composers nodding at Romani bands in the country. It has a lot of chromatic smears, a repeating note that confuses the rhythm, and large leaps like a braying donkey, and even the drone of a street hurdy gurdy comes and goes. A final shift into the major at the coda helps to end this work off in good fun.

Movements:

1. Allegro

2. Andante o più tosto allegretto

3. Menuetto. Allegro ma non troppo

Haydn - String Quartet in Eb Major, op.33 no.2 “The Joke”

When we think of “classical musical comedy”, especially with Haydn, we imagine people in powdered wigs chuckling in a droll manner at some unexpected whimsy. How quaint and charming! This image, mixed with how some jokes are meta-musical, can make listeners roll their eyes. Too “high brow” and outdated to be thought of as “comedy” to us. But that isn’t the case, these jokes can range from sophisticated to smarmy to lowbrow, etc. And Haydn’s personality shines through as being lighthearted and sarcastic. But it also gives him an excuse to write things that go against the classical aesthetic, and push a bit “forward” with rhythm, harmony, etc. The first movement of this quartet is sunny, a fun melody feels unbalanced over a rhythmically shifting accompaniment. The scherzo is a bit rowdy with stomping “in your face” chords that is a prophecy of Beethoven. It suddenly stops and we get a little dance with a smearing violin, the melody slips and slides around. In the slow movement, we take a break from jokes and get a sincere and almost orchestral song. There are grand chords that break up the lyricism. The last movement is what gives the quartet its nickname. It opens with a fun skipping melody, almost Italian, and then we get to the “moment”. I’m not going to spoil it for you if you haven’t heard it before, because that would completely ruin the effect, but the first time I listened to this I didn’t know why it was called the Joke, and when it happened I couldn’t help but chuckle. 

Movements:

1. Allegro moderato

2. Scherzo: Allegro

3. Largo

Haydn - String Quartet op.74 no.4 in Bb Major, “Sunrise”

The nickname refers to the quartet’s opening, where a “rising” melody glides above sustained chords. This slow opening is contrasted by a rapid, lighter “con spirito” B melody, and the playfulness of the quartet shines immediately. Thanks to the name, I can’t help but associate this with morning, a shining bright optimistic day, making me think I can take on the world if I try. But of course there are no rules to “when” you’re supposed to music, so this can be entertainment throughout the hours. Being in his op.74 set, the quartet is a cumulation of the genre writing as Haydn had formed it, diverting from sonata form at times, and expanding on the general character of the dance movements, going against cultural expectation.

Movements

1. Allegro con spirito

2. Adagio

3. Menuet. Allegro