Oslo Philharmonic’s Chamber Series Joseph Haydn
Johannes Brahms

This concert is thematically connected to the performances on 18 March.

With nearly 70 works in the genre, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) earned the title “father of the string quartet.” His Opus 77consists of two quartets and represents some of his final contributions to the form. The String Quartet in G major, Op. 77 No. 1, performed at this concert, combines classical clarity and formal balance with a new, virtuosic energy—particularly in the first violin part. The work is regarded as a late masterpiece and offers a final glimpse of Haydn’s remarkable ability to renew and advance the art of chamber music.

Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) was an established composer by the time he finally dared to publish his first string quartets—after nearly 20 years of sketches, discarded drafts, and relentless self-criticism. The String Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1, was published in 1873 and clearly reflects Brahms’s deep respect for Beethoven’s legacy, as well as his search for a personal voice within the demanding quartet genre. Today, the work is considered part of the core repertoire, demonstrating how Brahms, after years of refinement, succeeded in uniting personal depth with the ideals of the classical string quartet.