Haydn op. 33 nº 2 "The Joke" 1-2

The Op. 33 String Quartets were written by Joseph Haydn in the summer and Autumn of 1781 for the Viennese publisher Artaria. This set of quartets has several nicknames, the most common of which is the "Russian" quartets, because Haydn dedicated the quartets to the Grand Duke Paul of Russia and many (if not all) of the quartets were premiered on Christmas Day, 1781, at the Viennese apartment of the Duke's wife, the Grand Duchess Maria Feodorovna. This quartet in E-flat major, nicknamed The Joke is numbered in variously as No. 30, Hob. III:38 and FHE No. 71. Allegro moderato, 4/4 Scherzo: Allegro. 3/4 Largo, 3/4 in B-flat major Presto, 6/8