Franz Joseph Haydn: Streichquartette Heft IX op. 71 und 74: String Quartet:

Appony Quartets-Joseph Haydn composed the string quartets known as Op.71/74 also called the 'Apponyi' Quartets in 1793. The composer dated the autograph scores accordingly although the year that appears on those of the B flat major and D majorquartets shows signs of having been corrected. These two works might already have been finished in 1792. However it is certain that Op.71/74 were composed in Vienna during the period between Haydn's two journeys to England andintended as a series of six quartets.The decision to divide the quartets into two sets of three was taken by the publishers. The three Quartets Op.71 were first published in 1795 by Corri Dussek & Co. then in a slightlyrevised reprint by the Viennese publishing house of Artaria & Co.

These are the last of the nearly seventy quartets in Haydn?s oeuvre. Originally he intended to write a set of six quartets as so often in the past but at the time they were written in 1803 Haydn?s healthwas so poor that he could not fully satisfy the commission from Prince Lobkowitz. Instead he published only two complete quartets as Op. 77. Later he allowed an incomplete work consisting of two middle movementsto appear as op. 103 adding to the print the portentous words: ?Gone is all my strength old and weak am I.? Musically however these quartets are anything but weak: they represent the aged composer virtually at the zenith ofhis powers. Haydn even went so far as to call Op. 77 no. 2 his ?most beautiful String quartet?.

String Quartets Book IX op. 71 and 74-Haydn dedicated the series of Quartets op. 71 and 74 to the Hungarian Count Apponyi a Viennese patron of music and a freemason friend. Haydn composed them when he was enjoying a great deal ofsuccess with his 'London Symphonies' in England. With their weighty slow introductions and dense movements focusing on sound they also have symphonic characteristics. In particular the Quartet in g minor op. 74 3 isstriking on account of its expressiveness and originality. Due to the rhythmic drive of the outer movements it was give the epithet 'Rider Quartet'. The study edition complements the parts of the 'ApponyiQuartets' which are already available in Henle Urtext.