Franz Joseph Haydn: Streichquartette Heft Xi Lobkowitz Quartette Op.77: String

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.

String Quartets Book VIII op. 64-The quartets were dedicated to the violinist Johann Tost who was the second principal violinist at the Esterházy court during the 1780s. His business sense led him to sell twelve quartets - opus 64 was probably amongst them -to a Parisian publisher. Whether Haydn approved of this is open to question - the dedication was however no longer present in the second imprint or the following ones. Our edition follows the Haydn CompleteEdition and for the first time juxtaposes the quartet in E flat major and the two original trios.