Many of Franz Josef Haydn's early pieces are as charming and worthy of listening to as the later exponents. In the String Quartet, Op. 1, No. 1, he composes a piece with keen dialogue aspects. The two-part harmony of the second minuet and the gentle answering phrases in the trio of the first minute (such pizzicati!) is flawlessly composed. In the last movement, the brisk repartee between the first violin and the lower strings is so well crafted that we realize we're in the presence of Haydn the young genius, not just Haydn the dependable craftsman. The adagio is another matter; lovely as it is, it is fairly standard arioso material. Perhaps Haydn even reused it in one of his operas or songs. It is like a violin concerto done in quartet style. In the second minuet, the accented figures are a bit overemphasized, but the effect is acceptably idiosyncratic rather than annoying. The presto is effusive but in a restrained way.

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