Haydn: String Quartet, Op. 33 No. 2

Haydn is know as one of the greatest masters of the string quartets. String quartets were mainly composed for amateurs to play for their own pleasure, and in this certain quartet Haydn really shows his funny side, therefore, giving this quartet the nickname "The Joke". Haydn features the violin the most in this certain quartet, and repeats the main theme fairly often. It is a very light and playful melody. The ending is what I like the most about this piece and the reason it got it's nickname. Haydn trys to trick the listener into thinking the ending has come before it actually has. He composes a brand new section which seems just like a long sustained cadence, but from there he jumps back into the main theme of the piece. Then, you think you are done again because after the first phrase of the main theme is done, there is silence, but then it picks up where it left off. Then, back into silence. It does this untill the whole theme has been played through. You think it ends there, but then it plays that first phrase again and ends it there. Such a unique way to end a piece that really throws the listener off.