In Op. 54 No. 2, Haydn uses an astonishing harmonic move early in the work, erupting into the distant key of A flat major after initial C major phrases.
Composition History
The twelve quartets from 1788 and 1790 are traditionally linked to Johann Tost, a second violinist in the Esterházy orchestra, who also dabbled in various business ventures.
Composition History
Haydn gave the Opp. 54 and 55 quartets, along with Symphonies Nos. 88 and 89, to Johann Tost to sell to a Parisian publisher, Sieber, who issued them in June 1789.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Haydn tailored these quartets, his most 'public' to date, for the international market, particularly London and Paris, where the first-violin-dominated 'quatuor brillant' was popular.
Cultural Impact
The Op. 55 No. 2 quartet earned the nickname 'Razor' Quartet because Haydn supposedly offered his 'best quartet' to publisher John Bland for a pair of English razors.
Composition History
Haydn's string quartets were in high demand in the lucrative amateur domestic market, especially after the international success of his Op. 33 quartets.
Composition History
By the mid-1780s, Joseph Haydn was balancing his role as Esterházy opera Kapellmeister with his growing fame as a European celebrity.
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