String Quartet in G major, Hob.III:75, Op. 76, No. 1

A string quartet is four players: two violins, a viola and a cello. This quartet has four movements.

Allegro con spirito. It opens with three firm, ringing chords, like a call for attention, and then a cheerful, springing tune starts. Haydn then plays with that tune, turning it over and developing it through several keys. Listen for how a short little idea gets used again and again.

Adagio sostenuto. The slow movement is calm and dignified, with a hymn-like quality. The first violin sings a long, expressive line while the others support it with rich harmony.

Menuetto: Presto. This is a minuet in name, but it is marked very fast and feels more like a lively, stomping dance. The middle section is lighter and smoother.

Allegro ma non troppo. The finale starts in a darker, minor mood, but it turns bright, and the quartet ends in a cheerful, playful way.

Haydn wrote the six quartets of Opus 76 in 1796 and 1797, near the end of his career, when he was among the best known composers in Europe. They are often called the Erdődy quartets after Count Joseph Erdődy, who paid for them. Haydn had by then spent years in London and wrote with great confidence, giving each quartet its own character. They were published in 1799. They are heard today as some of the finest music he wrote for the string quartet, a form he did much to shape.