As with his symphonies and some of his other works, Haydn wrote a ton of String Quartets. Just an absolute ton. This set collects the 23rd through 28th, all of which were written at the same time, as one cycle or collection. They are considered by most people to be the birth of the modern String Quartet and wikipedia tells me that the form established here didn’t really change for 200 years, which is insane.

I am a sucker for String Quartets and I can’t say that I’ve heard any earlier than these in my life. So earlier Quartets would probably strike my ears as exceptionally primitive.

I am tempted to write down my thoughts about all of them but other people have said it much better than me:

This cannot be overstated. The six string quartets of Opus 20 are as important in the history of music, and had as radically a transforming effect on the very field of musical possibility itself, as Beethoven’s Third Symphony would 33 years later.
– Ron Drummond

Every page of the six quartets of op. 20 is of historic and aesthetic importance… there is perhaps no single or sextuple opus in the history of instrumental music which has achieved so much.
– Donald Tovey

I cannot add to that.

10/10

PS The beginning of one of the repeating phrases in the second of these quartets sounds exactly like one of the themes from the Star Wars score.

1. String Quartet in E flat major Op 20 No 1: Allegro moderato[11’47]
2. String Quartet in E flat major Op 20 No 1: Menuetto: Allegretto[4’12]
3. String Quartet in E flat major Op 20 No 1: Affettuoso e sostenuto[6’18]
4. String Quartet in E flat major Op 20 No 1: Presto[3’39]
5. String Quartet in C major Op 20 No 2: Moderato[11’35]
6. String Quartet in C major Op 20 No 2: Capriccio: Adagio[7’00]
7. String Quartet in C major Op 20 No 2: Menuetto: Allegretto[4’30]
8. String Quartet in C major Op 20 No 2: Fuga a 4 soggetti: Allegro[3’48]
9. String Quartet in G minor Op 20 No 3: Allegro con spirito[8’37]
10. String Quartet in G minor Op 20 No 3: Menuetto: Allegretto[5’20]
11. String Quartet in G minor Op 20 No 3: Poco adagio[7’36]
12. String Quartet in G minor Op 20 No 3: Allegro molto[5’19]
13. String Quartet in D major Op 20 No 4: Allegro di molto[10’55]
14. String Quartet in D major Op 20 No 4: Un poco adagio affettuoso[10’58]
15. String Quartet in D major Op 20 No 4: Menuetto: Allegretto alla zingarese[1’51]
16. String Quartet in D major Op 20 No 4: Presto scherzando[6’22]
17. String Quartet in F minor Op 20 No 5: Allegro moderato[13’51]
18. String Quartet in F minor Op 20 No 5: Menuetto[5’48]
19. String Quartet in F minor Op 20 No 5: Adagio[6’15]
20. String Quartet in F minor Op 20 No 5: Fuga a 2 soggetti[4’03]
21. String Quartet in A major Op 20 No 6: Allegro di molto e scherzando[7’50]
22. String Quartet in A major Op 20 No 6: Adagio cantabile[6’22]
23. String Quartet in A major Op 20 No 6: Menuetto: Allegretto[2’31]
24. String Quartet in A major Op 20 No 6: Fuga a 3 soggetto: Allegro[3’14]