Franz Josef Haydn has been called the father of numerous musical genres — hence the nickname “Papa.” Of all his paternal honors, however, Father of the String Quartet is perhaps the most enduring, for Haydn took that medium to heights unequaled by anyone with the exception of Mozart and Beethoven, and transformed it from a private home affair to a monumental art form. This weekend, you can hear Haydn’s String Quartet in E-flat major, a.k.a. “The Joke,” along with one of Mozart’s “Haydn” quartets, composed in homage, as they should be played — by the exciting London Haydn Quartet in the elegant Queen’s Salon of the RMS Queen Mary. In addition, guest clarinetist Eric Hoeprich joins the ensemble in Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, playing his own reconstruction of the old basset clarinet. The Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach; Sun., April 30, 4 p.m.; pre-concert lecture at 3:15 p.m.; $38-$45. (213) 477-2929 or www.dacamera.org.

—Mary Beth Crain

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