Review (PDF) The String Quartets Of Joseph Haydn
A monumental accomplishment from the age of Enlightenment, the string quartets of Joseph Haydn hold a central place not only in the composer's oeuvre, but also in our modern conception of form, style, and expression in the instrumental music of his day. Here, renowned music historians Floyd and Margaret Grave present a fresh perspective on a comprehensive survey of the works. This thorough and unique analysis offers new insights into the creation of the quartets, the wealth of musical customs and conventions on which they draw, the scope of their innovations, and their significance as reflections of Haydn's artistic personality. Each set of quartets is characterized in terms of its particular mix of structural conventions and novelties, stylistic allusions, and its special points of connection with other opus groups in the series. Throughout the book, the authors draw attention to the boundless supply of compositional strategies by which Haydn appears to be continually rethinking, reevaluating, and refining the quartet's potentials. They also lucidly describe Haydn's famous penchant for wit, humor, and compositional artifice, illuminating the unexpected connections he draws between seemingly unrelated ideas, his irony, and his lightning bolts of surprise and thwarted expectation. Approaching the quartets from a variety of vantage points, the authors correct many prevailing assumptions about convention, innovation, and developing compositional technique in the music of Haydn and his contemporaries. Going beyond traditional modes of study, The String Quartets of Joseph Haydn blends historical analysis and factual information with critical appraisal in a way that will engage all Haydn enthusiasts.
Paperback: 396 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (October 13, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0195382951
ISBN-13: 978-0195382952
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.9 x 6.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,762,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #93 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Haydn #303 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Musical Genres > Classical > Chamber Music #6140 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > History & Criticism
I absolutely love this book. It is packed with revealing observations and insights into the works and their creation, and has been indespensable to me as performer and occasional writer. I also must give a shout-out to the Kindle edition, which includes all of the musical examples. Other books about music on Kindle either do not include the examples, which is infuriating and renders them practically useless, or are insanely expensive. (Or both!) So I didn't LOVE paying $15, but it is worth it to have this book everywhere I go. :)*The Kindle edition also has an index, but it gives page numbers, which are of course pretty irrelevant without the physical book. I should probably reduce my rating to 4 stars because of this but I can't bring myself to.
I was not so excited about this book. I generally do not enjoy books where I mostly find description of what can be found in the score. For a player it is basically useless. For teoretician it is way too brief and superficial. The whole introduction about the string quartet's evolution is quite interesting though.
I'm learning from this right now thanks!! It is in-depth and perfect for my class.
The String Quartets of Joseph Haydn Album of Easy String Quartets, Vol 1: Pieces by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and others (Kalmus Edition) Album of Easy String Quartets, Vol 3: Pieces by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Mendelssohn, and others (Kalmus Edition) The Best of Arcangelo Corelli (Concerto Grossi for String Orchestra or String Quartet): String Bass The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell) The Great Haydn Quartets: Their Interpretation Three Orchestral Works in Full Score: Academic Festival Overture, Tragic Overture and Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn (Dover Music Scores) Joseph Haydn, The Merry Little Peasant Beethoven - String Quartets, Op. 18: No. 1 in F Major & No. 4 in C Minor: Music Minus One Violin (Music Minus One (Numbered)) String Quartets Op. 51, Nos. 1 & 2, Op. 67: Miniature Score, Miniature Score (Kalmus Edition) Five Late String Quartets (Dover Chamber Music Scores) String Quartets, Opp. 20 and 33, Complete (Dover Chamber Music Scores) Eleven Late String Quartets, Opp. 74, 76 and 77, Complete (Dover Chamber Music Scores) String Quartets, Opp. 42, 50 and 54 (Dover Chamber Music Scores) Thirty Celebrated String Quartets, Vol 2: Op. 3, Nos. 3, 5; Op. 20, Nos. 4, 5, 6; Op. 33, Nos. 2, 3, 6; Op. 64, Nos. 5, 6; Op. 76, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Kalmus Edition) String Quartets Nos. 1 and 2 (Dover Chamber Music Scores) String Quartets No. 1 ("From My Life") & No. 2 Early String Quartets: Op. 18 Complete (Dover Miniature Music Scores) Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 8 in A-flat major, Hob.XVI:46 (Haydn Piano Sonatas) (Volume 8) Haydn Studies: Proceedings of the International Haydn Conference, Washington, D.C., 1975
