Passing the Baton: Joseph Haydn and his Musical Successors

Mentorship and close connections have always been essential to the business of making music.  In late 18th century Vienna, no one was better known for their teaching and support than Joseph Haydn whose skill and genial personality made him a mentor worth seeking out.  Join Wit’s Folly as we explore music for string quartet by Haydn and his talented student Joseph Eybler who was described as the next best genius in Vienna after Mozart.  The program will feature one of Haydn’s later quartets, opus 76 number 2 in D minor, nicknamed “Fifths” and Eybler’s charming opus 1 quartet in D major, and will be rounded out by a pair of duets by Ignaz Pleyel and Franz Anton Hoffmeister, composers whose lives were also touched by Haydn’s influence.