Haydn’s “The Joke”

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I really enjoyed listening to Haydn’s “The Joke.” The way in which Haydn used the violins and musical structures was suspenseful, unpredictable, yet simultaneously playful – all essential characteristics that encompass a good joke.

The first movement, “Allegro moderato,” was the most structured. Using the sonata form, it was as if Haydn was constructing the background of the joke that he is going to tell in the following movements. We are first presented with a lighthearted theme, characteristic of the movement, which is then transformed into numerous and unpredictable variations. Notably, before its recapitulation, it is presented in the minor key, adding a further feeling of relief when it is finally presented normally during the recapitulation.

However, the feeling of unpredictability returns in the second movement, “Scherzo.” I tried to predict what was to come next, but I could not pinpoint a musical structure that the movement followed. This movement is almost a constant development, and I could no longer predict when or if the themes were going to be recapitulated. Haydn adds several short cadences, which add to the unpredictability of this movement. We lose our sense of structure. It reminds me of the suspense that I feel during the buildup of a good joke.

The following theme, “Largo,” was perhaps my favorite of the four. More melancholic than the preceding and subsequent movements, it seems to be the anomaly and unfitting movement given the title, “The Joke.” It appears to be a dialogue between the two groups of string instruments. However, this movement maintains the characteristic unpredictability of “The Joke.” The movement switches from being very loud to quiet, and, like the preceding movement, there are numerous cadences, contributing to the sense of uneasiness. We wait for the resolution, which is somewhat achieved at the end of the movement when all the instruments play in unison; but the instruments slowly fade out, and the two short final musical fragments give little resolve to the listener.

The final movement, “Presto,” acts as the punch line for the joke. Unlike the preceding movement, it is fast-paced and, in my opinion, most resembles the human voice. It almost sounds like a laughing, almost out-of-breath, telling of a joke, as one frantically is trying to get to the punch line. It is in the rondo form, adding a sense of structure that was somewhat lost in the prior two movements. While cadences were dropped throughout the other movements, the most striking are the few placed in the last movement. I was continuously tricked into believing that the movement was over. I can imagine the audience, when seeing it performed live, accidentally applauding at the wrong moment.

All the movements are mercurial: No constant structure, theme, and mood are maintained. This is the punch line of the joke. We listen to the first movement and expect this to be a lighthearted string quartet, which is contrasted with the melancholic third movement. Using (and not using) sonata and rondo form while integrating the occasional cadence, Haydn seems to set up our expectations with the use of existing musical structures while simultaneously breaking them down.

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