string quartet, movement2 haydn

Question 1

who commissioned the six string quartets op 76 belongs to?

Answer 1

count Joseph erdody, to whom Haydn dedicated the works

Question 2

why is it referred to as the emperor quartet?

Answer 2

from the elegant theme Haydn uses in the second movement as the basis for a set of variations.

Question 3

why did Haydn compose “Gott erhalte franz den kaiser” (god save emperor Francis)

Answer 3

haydn made two visits to London where he experienced great success. he admired god save the king which motivated him to write the melody for Austria’s emperor, Francis II

Question 4

genre

Answer 4

string quartet

Question 5

composition date

Answer 5

1797

Question 6

significance of the title

Answer 6

the subtitle emperor refers to the anthem upon which the second movement is based

Question 7

structure

Answer 7

four movements

Question 8

second movement facts

Answer 8

key: g major
form: theme and variations
tempo: begins poco adagio, cantabile
meter: 2/2
- five phrases, aabcc
- binary form
- mostly diatonic harmonies
source of text: an original hymn by Haydn know as the kaiserhymne
unique feature of this movement is how Haydn achieves variation through the accompaniment alone. in each variation, the melody is presented in its unaltered form by each instrument, preserving its noble character.

Question 9

theme facts

Answer 9

key: g major
theme: played by the first violin, unfolds in elegant four-bar phrases
tempo: poco adagio, cantabile.
- five phrases: aabcc
- marked dolce
-homophonic texture
- accents introduced at the climatic high g impart a stirring intensity to the music