When was the very first string quartet composed, who wrote it and when?

---

Clarification of Question by dj_jen-ga on 23 Jan 2006 11:29 PST

What I meant to type was, WHAT was the very first string quartet
composed, who wrote it and when.

Hi dj_jen,

Thank you for your question.

Franz Joseph Haydn composed/wrote the first string quartet, written
between 1757 and 1761.


Naxos.com
http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/default.asp?pn=Composers&char=H&ComposerID=462

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

"The Opus 1 Quartets were seemingly written between 1757 and 1761."

=========

String Quartets
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4292264

The History of the String Quartet

Haydn (1732 - 1809)

"Haydn has been regarded as the 'Father of the String Quartet' by
almost everyone, with the exception of himself. Haydn was staying at
Weinzierl at the invitation of the Baron von Fürnberg when he started
playing in a string quartet with Fürnberg's steward, the village
priest and a musician by the name of Albrechtsberger. It is very
likely that this is the group for which Haydn wrote Opus 1, Numbers
1-6, his first string quartets.

From that point until somewhere between 1775 - 1800, Haydn was the
driving force behind the string quartet. He wrote a total of 68
quartets, in addition to a longer series of quartets called The Seven
Last Words of Christ on the Cross."

=========

String Quartets, Op.76 "Erdödy"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000291M/102-1612529-1722508?v=glance&n=5174

"Haydn invented the string quartet way back in the 1750s, and by the
time he came to write these works some 40 years later, his mastery was
so natural and effortless that it's hardly noticeable..."

========

keyword search:

first string quartet history of
haydn opus 1 quartet

=========


Best regards,
tlspiegel

---

Request for Answer Clarification by dj_jen-ga on 23 Jan 2006 15:57 PST

Hello, and thank you. 

Do you feel certain that no composition for two violins, viola and
cello (or the Baroque era conterparts for these instruments) was
written before Haydn? He's literally the first person to think of
writing for this arrangement of instruments? It's almost seems too
simple to be true.

Then again, maybe Haydn is the $6 answer...

---

Clarification of Answer by tlspiegel-ga on 23 Jan 2006 17:20 PST

Yes, it was Haydn.

The second link I provided started out as saying....

The History of the String Quartet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4292264

"It is possible that the very first quartets came from composers who
had written music in Germany and Austria during the early 1600s. These
composers wrote music evenly and thematically balanced between two
violins, a viola and a cello or bass. This early form of quartet music
generally consisted of folk song adaptations. Around 1620, however,
the viola dropped out and a keyboard instrument such as a harpsichord
was added as accompaniment. This arrangement of players and the music
that they play is known as the 'trio sonata'. The trio sonata quickly
became the popular musical format of the time.

Haydn (1732 - 1809)

Haydn has been regarded as the 'Father of the String Quartet' by
almost everyone, with the exception of himself. Haydn was staying at
Weinzierl at the invitation of the Baron von Fürnberg when he started
playing in a string quartet with Fürnberg's steward, the village
priest and a musician by the name of Albrechtsberger. It is very
likely that this is the group for which Haydn wrote Opus 1, Numbers
1-6, his first string quartets.

From that point until somewhere between 1775 - 1800, Haydn was the
driving force behind the string quartet. He wrote a total of 68
quartets, in addition to a longer series of quartets called The Seven
Last Words of Christ on the Cross. Soon after Haydn began writing
quartets, he was joined by other learned..."

A thoughtful, thorough response and clarification. Many thanks.

Hi dj_jen,

Thank you for the 5 star rating, nice comments and tip!  :)

Best regards,
tlspiegel