A Reader's Guide to Haydn's Early String Quartets (Reader's Guides to Musical Genres) [Hardcover]

William Drabkin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0313301735 | ISBN-13: 978-0313301735

The six string quartets comprising Joseph Haydn's Opus 20 (composed in 1772) are the first works in the genre to have received consistent critical attention from writers on music. The twenty-two quartets Haydn wrote before this date, though rarely discussed by historians and theorists and seldom performed in public, are nevertheless fundamental to the development of the quartet and thus inseparable from Opus 20 itself. This thoughtful discussion provides a basis upon which to study the quartet by showing how the relationship among the four players can best be understood as a musical dialogue. A methodology is developed for analyzing these quartets by focusing on the characteristics of string instruments that inform not only the style of the music, but also the materials of the composition. The changing relationships among the instruments reveal the level of sophistication evident in Haydn's early works and attest to the affinity these works have with his later masterpieces. Music scholars and educators will appreciate the generous musical examples and clear prose that explains the more detailed analysis of the Opus 20 set.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Drabkin provides insightful observations about Haydn's early quartets....[Recommended] for music collections at all levels.”–Choice

“[t]here is surely no more acute, and bracing, consideration of the textual dynamic of these works.”–Music & Letters

“This book provides a basis upon which to study quartets by showing how the relationship between the four musicians can best be thought of as a musical dialogue.”–Chamber Music

About the Author

WILLIAM DRABKIN is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Southampton in England.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (October 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313301735
• ISBN-13: 978-0313301735
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,800,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.