String Quartet No. 66 in G major, Op. 77/1, H. 3/81

The Op. 77 string quartets of Haydn were begun in 1799, at the very end of his career. Prince Franz Joseph Maximilian Lobkowitz commissioned six quartets, but the surviving two were the only ones the elderly master managed to complete; he was at the end of his creative tether, which made his twilight years frustrating for their artistic silence. Haydn probably knew this was coming, taking on the project with reluctance after writing The Creation, an act that exhausted him. However, whatever dark circumstances surrounded the commission, the Op. 77, No. 1 begins with a pastoral burst of delighted energy. Haydn was known for being excellent company and his music reflected his positive outlook throughout his career. Beginning with a monothematic sonata movement, one might imagine this to be the work of a composer at the apex of his abilities. The expressive energy is clear and bright, and no listener, however casual, could suspect that the players could be having anything other than a splendid time performing this impressively idiomatic and summery material. Following with an adagio that is contemplative but never dour, the contrast of these movements maintains a high level of interest without breaking the overall mood that swings back into high gear with the third, menuetto: presto-trio, movement. This is in the scherzo style, exploding with vigor that is tightly wound without sounding agitated. Such a departure from the traditional, and slower, minuet-trio was new for the music scene at the time, proving the composer was not resting on his laurels, in spite of his catalog being already rife with innovations. It is fair to say that he shaped much of the classical music style of the late eighteenth century single-handedly over the course of his long career and still he managed to offer new ideas that would stick with composers such as Beethoven, who would never fully rid his sound of Haydn's decisive influence. The Op. 77, No. 1 concludes with a presto finale that allows the listener's spirit to soar. Anyone acquainted with the endless list of contributions this musician offered his field cannot help but be astonished. Few people have given art so much with such a loving and skilled delivery. The Op. 77, No. 1 is a powerful testament for the sublime capabilities existing inside individuals.