Haydn, String Quartet in G, op. 76 no. 1/i (Allegro con spirito)

Abstract

Not all classical expositions are “two-part expositions,” that is, one divided in half by a medial caesura. Another, less common option was that of the “continuous exposition,” lacking a medial caesura and hence (in Sonata Theory’s view) lacking a “secondary theme” proper. This chapter considers a chamber work with an exemplary continuous exposition, the first movement of Haydn’s String Quartet in G, op. 76 no. 1. The chapter’s historical backdrop also considers the cultural role and implications of the chamber music of the era, drawing from, among other sources, Klorman’s recent study of chamber music characterizing it as an ongoing, mutual conversation “among friends.” The opening of Haydn’s quartet is a particularly apt illustration of that idea, with each of the players joining in, one by one. The bulk of the chapter is given over to a phrase-by-phrase analysis of the movement that emphasizes the ongoing process of musical elaboration and close motivic development that is characteristic of Haydn’s style. Special attention is given to the moment where presumed expectations for a two-part exposition are overridden and one realizes that the exposition will be continuous. Alternative readings of this moment are also considered.