Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in F major Hob. III:73 Op. 74 No. 2

Joseph Haydn
String Quartet in G minor Hob. III:74 Op. 74 No. 3

Johannes Brahms
String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat major Op. 67

While writing his first two string quartets, Johannes Brahms struggled under the shadow of Beethoven, whose overwhelming influence he felt for decades. His Third Quartet of 1876 is audibly indebted to another composer: the light touch and musical wit of Joseph Haydn are present throughout the score. The Hagen Quartett’s program creates an intergenerational dialogue between the two composers.