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.
Franz Joseph Haydn
String Quartet No. 66 in G major, Op. 77/1, H. 3/81
Share on
Description by John Keillor
Parts/Movements
- Allegro moderato
- Adagio
- Menuet. Presto & Trio
- Finale. Presto
Appears On
Year | Title / Performer | Label / Catalog # | AllMusic Rating |
---|---|---|---|
2019 |
Audite
AUD 21456
|
||
2018 |
Ambronay
AMY 310
|
||
2017 |
Warner Classics
0190295869182
|
||
2016 |
Deutsche Grammophon
4795982
|
||
2016 |
Claudio
4627
|
||
2016 |
Naxos
8573701
|
||
2016 |
Various Artists
|
Naxos
8578326-27
|
|
2015 |
Warner Classics
0825646123452
|
||
2014 |
MDG / MDG Gold
MDGCD 3071860
|
||
2014 |
Tacet
TACET 191BDA
|
||
2014 |
Music & Arts
MACD 1281
|
||
2013 |
2L
2L 091SACD
|
||
2012 |
Decca
|
||
2012 |
Various Artists
|
Concerto / Zebralution
|
|
2011 |
Naïve
E 8935
|
||
2011 |
Divox
CDX25230
|
||
2010 |
Stradivarius
33849
|
||
2009 |
Deutsche Grammophon
4778116
|
||
2009 |
Arcana
419
|
||
2009 |
Brilliant Classics
93889
|
||
2009 |
Naïve
8924
|
||
2009 |
Accent
24220
|
||
2009 |
Channel Classics
28209
|
||
2009 |
Brilliant Classics
93807
|
||
2008 |
Harmonia Mundi
2961823
|
||
2008 |
Naxos
8502400
|
||
2007 |
Brilliant Classics
93138
|
||
2006 |
Fleurs de Lys
23075
|
||
2005 |
EMI Classics
|
||
2005 |
Testament
1372
|
||
2004 |
Harmonia Mundi
901823
|
||
2004 |
Deutsche Grammophon
474730
|
||
2002 |
Deutsche Grammophon
471762
|
||
2002 |
Deutsche Grammophon
|
||
2001 |
Camerata Records
28CM579
|
||
2001 |
Praga
250157
|
||
2000 |
Philips
464 650-2PX21
|
||
2000 |
Naïve
8800
|
||
2000 |
Doron Music
3031
|
||
1999 |
Preiser Records
90901
|
||
1998 |
Hungaroton
41001
|
||
1997 |
Sony Music Distribution
62731
|
||
1997 |
London
455261
|
||
1995 |
Naxos
553146
|
||
1994 |
Harmonia Mundi
1903001
|
||
1993 |
Nimbus
5312
|
||
1993 |
Kontrapunkt
32071
|
||
1989 |
Astree
8799
|
||
1987 |
Hungaroton
11776
|
||
Fono Enterprise
99370
|
|||
ASV / ASV Gold
4010
|
|||
Hyperion
66348
|
|||
Arsis
98047
|
|||
Lyrinx
101
|
|||
Analekta
29552
|
|||
DHM Deutsche Harmonia Mundi / DHM Editio Classica
77106
|
|||
Deutsche Grammophon
471327
|
|||
Brilliant Classics
93807/3
|