Opus13

«Papa Haydn»? Naturally «yes» – but much louder: «NO!» Haydn's compositions have nothing to do with the dusty image that still clings to him. Hardly any other composer incorporated hidden and open humor so frequently. The string quartet op. 77 no. 1, composed in 1799, belongs to Haydn's last completed quartets. It is the finale of a long creative journey on which Haydn decisively shaped the quartet genre. Hence the title «Father of the String Quartet». Haydn shows himself at the height of his mastery, with clarity, elegance, and wit, with inventiveness and subtle refinement. There is no trace of any kind of «compositional gimmickry».