Parlando Breakdown #2: Haydn Op. 33 No. 2 "The Joke"

“The Joke Quartet,” Op. 33 No. 2 by Franz Joseph Haydn. Haydn’s known as the “Father of the String Quartet,” and though he wasn’t the first to write for two violins, a viola, and a cello, he absolutely made the genre what we know it as today.

Haydn is known and considered himself to be an inventive and clever composer, this inventiveness most clearly shines through in his string quartets.

Let’s take a listen to the beginning of the final movement, played here by Cuarteto Casals. This opening is the set-up to the joke.

Innocent enough. Now, classical music has changed a lot since 1781, but if there’s one thing that’s stayed the same, it’s that the audience is never quite sure when to clap. So let’s play a game: here’s the ending of the Joke Quartet. When do you clap?

Hilarious. The performers do a great job selling the joke too. Check out the rest of Haydn’s quartets, they’re great — my favorite is Op 77 No 2, but there are 68 of them so you have lots of choices. Hope you enjoyed, and watch more Parlando Breakdowns here.