The Op. 50 string quartets contain some of the purest writing Haydn ever accomplished. In this first full account of the six quartets, Dean Sutcliffe evaluates the Op. 50 in relation to Haydn's more frequently performed quartets and considers their relevance to Haydn's wider output. Each quartet is discussed in detail. The background to these works includes a brief history of the string quartet and an assessment of Haydn's earlier works in this genre and of his role at Esterhaza. The description of the composition and publication of the Op. 50 quartets is based on the evidence of Haydn's surviving letters and the recently discovered autograph copies of nos. 3 to 6--a discovery that is vividly documented here for the first time.

Renowned music historians Floyd and Margaret Grave present a fresh perspective on a comprehensive survey of the works. This thorough and unique analysis offers new insights into the creation of the quartets, the wealth of musical customs and conventions on which they draw, the scope of their innovations, and their significance as reflections of Haydn's artistic personality. Each set of quartets is characterized in terms of its particular mix of structural conventions and novelties, stylistic allusions, and its special points of connection with other opus groups in the series. Throughout the book, the authors draw attention to the boundless supply of compositional strategies by which Haydn appears to be continually rethinking, reevaluating, and refining the quartet's potentials. They also lucidly describe Haydn's famous penchant for wit, humor, and compositional artifice, illuminating the unexpected connections he draws between seemingly unrelated ideas, his irony, and his lightning bolts of surprise and thwarted expectation. Approaching the quartets from a variety of vantage points, the authors correct many prevailing assumptions about convention, innovation, and developing compositional technique in the music of Haydn and his contemporaries.

Complete reproductions of Op. 42 in D Minor; Op. 50, Nos. 1-6 (the "Prussian Quartets"), and Op. 54, Nos. 1-3 (first set of "Tost Quartets"). Reproduced from the authoritative Eulenburg edition.

Of the few composers who possessed an intrinsic mastery of the string quartet, Haydn was the first and, Hans Keller argues, the greatest. This seminal study of forty-five quartets by one of the leading music critics of his day provides an extraordinarily deep understanding of Haydn's methods and genius.

In the course of a 50-year period, Haydn composed some 80 string quartets, whose range and variety of structural invention rank second only to those of Beethoven. This fine new anthology consists of the six pieces known collectively as Op. 17: String Quartet in E Major, Op. 17, No. 1; String Quartet in F Major, Op. 17, No. 2; String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 17, No. 3, and three other pieces.

"It was from Haydn that I first learned the true way to compose quartets." Mozart. "Twelve String Quartets" marks the second volume in a projected monumental undertaking the complete Haydn string quartets. Players and students, music historians, and Haydn lovers will have inexpensive access to a uniform, strongly bound, and clearly printed modern edition of Haydn's finest pieces in complete score. Musicians, music students, and music publishers have a difficult time keeping up with Haydn, whose ceaseless production of original, first-rate work was legendary. He essayed most of the recognized genres, conferring upon several a legacy of expanded possibilities and clearly defined, characteristic form. Among these may be mentioned the symphony, the sonata, and perhaps most notably, the quartet. In a period of 50 years, Haydn (1732 1809) composed over 80 string quartets. Scholars are still debating questions of attribution and even completeness (unknown works by Haydn still turn up), and music lovers have had to make do with scattered, out-of-date, out-of- print editions of a few of the more familiar quartets. Otto Jahn wrote: "It is not often that a composer hits so exactly upon the form suited to his compositions; the quartet was Haydn's natural mode of expressing his feelings." Haydn's affinity to the quartet began with his earliest works, when he perhaps more than anyone established the four-movement structure of chamber music. In common with truly great and complete artists, who surpass early innovation to achieve their greatest work at the end, Haydn's later quartets are his best. This volume contains the full scores of: Op. 55, Nos. 1 3 (including "Razor") dedicated to Joh. Tost, ca. 1788 Op. 65, Nos. 1 6 (including "The Lark" or "Hornpipe") dedicated to Joh. Tost, 1790 or 1792 Op. 71, Nos. 1 3 dedicated to Count Appony, 1793 Large readable noteheads, ample margins for fingerings, etc., opaque paper, and permanent binding make this a fundamental addition to music libraries and musicians' repertories: a book for all who pay tribute to Haydn and who agree with "Grove's Dictionary" "The quartet he brought to perfection.""

This research guide is an annotated bibliography of sources dealing with the string quartet. This second edition is organized as in the original publication (chapters for general references, histories, individual composers, aspects of performance, facsimiles and critical editions, and miscellaneous topics) and has been updated to cover research since publication of the first edition. Listings in the previous volume have been updated to reflect the burgeoning interest in this genre (social aspects, newly issued critical editions, doctoral dissertations). It also offers commentary on online links, databases, and references.

Interprets an eighteenth-century musical repertoire in sociable terms, both technically (specific musical patterns) and affectively (predominant emotional registers of the music).