I liked this from the first 10 seconds.

Haydn String Quartet Op. 2 No. 2 in E Movement I (“Allegro molto”) is everything I dig in Classical music. It’s lively, bright, clever, and entertaining. Even the slower Movement II (“Menuet”) is engrossing. Where No. 2 bogs down for me is Movement III (“Adagio”). Movement III is a little too slow for my tastes.

Movement IV (“Menuet”) of No. 2 is a return to sprightly and fun. Movement V (“Finale: Presto”) seals the deal. It’s extremely lively, with lots of clever violin parts. Overall, thought, I’d have to name Op. 2 No. 2 a FAVORITE.

No. 4 in F is okay. But it doesn’t grab me from the opening notes. The movement I liked most from No. 4 is Movement V (“Finale: Allegro”).

No. 6 in B Flat starts slowly and doesn’t get much better after that, although movement III (“Scherzo: Presto”) is quite lively and fun. That caught my attention immediately. Even the penultimate movement (Movement V – “Presto”) was no match for Movement III.

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