When Mozart referred to Joseph Haydn as the "father, guide, and friend" of his string quartets, he was alluding to the great model of the Quartets Op. 33, which were printed at the end of 1781 and with which Haydn had ushered in a new era for the genre. The six String Quartets Op. 33 are considered the beginning of Viennese Classicism; they are also called the "Russian Quartets" because of their dedication to Grand Duke Paul of Russia. At the beginning of Quartet No. 3, the first violin enters with a kind of bird call over pulsating C major chords, from which the nickname "Bird Quartet" derives.

Sandra Fleischmann

Events

Upcoming events

May 31, 2026

Chamber Concert 4: Classical Meets Romantic · Landestheater Detmold

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in String Quartet No. 2 by Borodin

Landestheater Detmold

Violin in String Quartet by Haydn

Landestheater Detmold

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