String Quartet in C Major, "Emperor"

This piece was completed by Haydn in 1797, and dedicated to Hungarian Count Joseph Erdody. This specific movement is of Theme and Variations variety, with the melody Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (God Save Emperor Francis) as the theme. The first iteration of the theme by the trumpet is accompanied by basic choral accompaniment. The first variation gets pretty hairy, where in the original version the second violin plays the melody with the first violin performing some gymnastic arpeggios. In this arrangement the Trombone and Horn play the melody while the trumpets split the arpeggios. The third variation puts the melody in the cello, so the Tuba gets a chance to shine here. The fourth variation includes much syncopation, and the last variation is once again a choral texture, but changes some of the harmonies. The way this piece is organized, any variation can be removed to make the piece easier, or shorter.