Haydn is revered as the father of the string quartet. In number, scope and imagination, Haydn’s quartets define the genre. Even Mozart dedicated six of his own string quartets to Papa Haydn. The set begins with Haydn’s Opus 9 quartets, widely considered—including by the composer himself—as the start of his development of this new genre.

The 10x double-CD sets are presented in strikingly handsome double wallets throughout, each featuring opulent paintings by Samuel Scott on front and back. Each wallet offers a track listing, with many presenting facsimiles of the original scores and frontispieces, and the release celebrates the 25th anniversary of the formation of The London Haydn Quartet.