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Joseph Haydn - String Quartet No. 62 in C major, Op. 76, No. 3 "Emperor"

Lyrics of “Gott, erhalte den Kaiser!”, Haydn’s Imperial Hymn, later associated with the melody of the German national anthem.
The original text of “Gott, erhalte den Kaiser!”, the Imperial Hymn by Joseph Haydn, with lyrics by Lorenz Leopold Haschka. 

During the winter of 1797–1798, Joseph Haydn composed a set of six string quartets, later published as Op. 76, which he dedicated to the Hungarian Count Joseph Georg von Erdődy. These quartets belong to the summit of Haydn’s chamber music and reveal a master at the height of his creative powers.

The String Quartet No. 62 in C major, Op. 76, No. 3, is universally known by the nickname “Emperor” (Kaiserquartett). The title derives from the second movement, which consists of a set of variations on “Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”), a hymn Haydn composed in 1797 in honor of Francis II. The melody later became the national anthem of Austria-Hungary and is also familiar today as the tune of the German national anthem, Das Lied der Deutschen.


Μovements:

Ι. Allegro

The opening movement begins with a deceptively simple five-note motif. From this modest material, Haydn constructs an entire movement of remarkable cohesion and inventiveness. As in the “Surprise” Symphony, the opening section is repeated before the music unfolds into a development rich in rhythmic vitality. A particularly distinctive passage features playful, almost dance-like figures exchanged between the two violins, supported by viola and cello—an echo of Haydn’s lifelong affection for folk song and dance. A brief coda slows the momentum before the movement concludes with energetic brilliance.


ΙΙ. Poco adagio, cantabile

The second movement, which gives the quartet its nickname, presents four variations on Haydn’s Imperial Hymn.

  • Variation I is a graceful duet for the two violins, with one carrying the melody and the other providing ornamental figures.

  • Variation II entrusts the theme to the cello, lending it a warm and introspective character.

  • Variation III places the melody in the viola, enriched by gentle harmonic support toward the close.

  • Variation IV expands the harmonic texture further, subtly transforming the character of the theme while preserving its noble simplicity.



ΙΙΙ. Menuetto: Allegro

The Menuetto introduces a brisk and rhythmically pointed idea, shared between first violin and cello. In the central Trio, the first violin presents a melody that moves fluidly between minor and major, creating a striking expressive contrast.

IV. Presto

The finale opens unexpectedly with three forceful chords in the minor mode, followed by a concise and energetic theme. Haydn once again demonstrates his mastery of motivic development, maintaining tension through extended use of the minor key. Only near the end does the music return decisively to C major, bringing the quartet to a brilliant and affirmative conclusion.




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