Quartet in B flat for 2 violins, viola and violoncello

During the second half of the 18^th century, the string quartet rose from humble beginnings to become the most eminent genre of music for strings alone. Mozart’s early string quartets are in three movements, although Mozart later added a rondo finale to KV 80. No later than the sojourn in Vienna in the fall of 1773, Mozart became acquainted with the innovative quartets of Joseph Haydn. Following Haydn’s model, all of Mozart’s later string quartets are in four movements. Mozart showed his indebtedness to Haydn by dedicating his Opus 10 publication, a set of six string quartets, to the composer (KV 387, KV 421, KV 458, KV 428, KV 464, and KV 465). Like Haydn, Mozart sought to treat all instruments equally, e.g., by using counterpoint. Mozart intended to dedicate three quartets—KV 575, KV 589, and KV 590—to Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia, who was an accomplished cellist. These quartets have an elaborate, partly soloistic cello part. Mozart also wrote very individual quartets for one woodwind instrument and strings.