This movement (and furthermore, this entire work) is a prime example of the differences between the writing styles of Mozart and Haydn. Whereas Mozart usually creates clarity and contrast in his themes, Haydn is a different beast altogether; he takes effort to stress continuity in his pieces. He often takes a single theme or idea and constantly reworks it rather than introducing new ideas. This is the case we see here in this movement.

Even within the first 30 seconds, we have already heard the basic material that will be developed over the course of the whole movement (and to some extent, the course of the whole quartet). Whereas Mozart would likely introduce new material later on to create a contrast, Haydn is quite happy to take his original idea and play with it longer. Mozart's pieces are thus more polished and predictable, while Haydn's work is more impetuous and creative. A fine example comes near the middle of this movement: out of nowhere, we find ourselves listening to a Hungarian dance-like tune in a remote key. The viola and cello create a rather rustic-sounding drone, while the violins play what is almost a folk-melody variation of the original material. Then almost as quickly as it came, the section fades away, never to be heard again.

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Name: Fung Chern Hwei
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Date: Sunday, March 4, 2001 at 00:49:09
Text: You said the "Emperor" 1st mvt. has Hungarian elements in it? I don't think so, it is more like Scottish style.

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