String Quartet A flat major

Haydn Quartets. Par MOZART WOLFGANG AMADEUS. Haydn Quartets / Seiffert, Wolf-Dieter / Répertoire / 2 Violons, Alto, Violoncelle

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.

Though conceived as four separate movements my second string quartet has a single motif which is common to them all. This is the three-note 'Muss es sein?' from Beethoven's last quartet Op. 135. But whereas Beethoven's theme is notated G E A flat thus giving it an F minor connotation I have sued an alternative spelling - G E G sharp - which suggests an ambiguous E minor-major. This ambiguity in fact becomes the tonal basis of the whole work only to be resolved at the end of the final movement.Each movement begins with a variant of the basic motif on the cello. The first has the original form of the theme while the second has a 'majorised' version which is alsoexpressed as a chord. The third movement with its 'scherzoid' middle section reverts to the major-minor ambiguity of the first and the finale begins with the 'majorised' version as an ostinato accompaniment on pizzicato cello.The slow movement is sub-titled 'In memoriam DSCH' and concludes with a quotation of Shostakovich's motto - D E flat C B - which is basically the same as Beethoven's with the addition of one note.This is not to imply that the work contains no other thematic material. One important theme a rising fifth and a second is also common to three of the movements and is ultimately derived from my first quartet Op. 1 of 27 years earlier to which this second contribution to the form is in many ways like a sequel. Like the earlier work too this quartet is dedicated to my wife.

Quartet No. 1 in G Major, K.80
Quartet No. 2 in D Major, K.155
Quartet No. 3 in G Major, K.156
Quartet No. 4 in C Major, K.157
Quartet No. 5 in F Major, K.158
Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, K.159
Quartet No. 7 in E-flat Major, K.160
Quartet No. 8 in F Major, K.168
Quartet No. 9 in A Major, K.169
Quartet No. 10 in C Major, K.170
Quartet No. 11 in E-flat Major, K.171
Quartet No. 12 in B-flat Major, K.172
Quartet No. 13 in D Minor, K.173
Quartet No. 14 in G Major, K.387
Quartet No. 15 in D Minor, K.421
Quartet No. 16 in E-flat Major, K.428
Quartet No. 17 in B-flat Major, K.458
Quartet No. 18 in A Major, K.464
Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K.465
Quartet No. 20 in D Major, K.499
Quartet No. 21 in D Major, K.575
Quartet No. 22 in B-flat Major, K.589
Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K.590

Volume One
Quartet No. 1 in F Major, Op.18, No. 1
Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op.18, No. 2
Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op.18, No. 3
Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op.18, No. 4
Quartet No. 5 in A Major, Op.18, No. 5
Quartet No. 6 in B-flat Major, Op.18, No. 6
Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1
Quartet No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2
Quartet No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3
Volume Two
Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74
Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95
Quartet No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127
Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130
Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131
Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132
Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135
Grosse Fuge in B-flat Major, Op. 133