About String Quartets and Quartets With Wind Instruments
During the second half of the 18th 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 Frederick William 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.
Publications
Sources
Autograph, 1784
"Quartetto IV. ["IV" unterstrichen]"
Partitur: 11 Bl. (20 beschr. S.)
Autograph, 1782-1785
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, ’Six Quartetts dedicated to Haydn’
Partitur: 68 Bl. (127 beschr. S., Konvolut)
Abschrift, 1795
Sei/ Quartetti/ per/ due Violini, Viola/ e/ Violoncello/ Composti e dedicati/ al Signor/ Giuseppe Haydn/ Maestro di Capella di S. A. il Principe/ d'Esterhazy &&/ Dal suo Amico/ W. A. Mozart./ opus X./ In Vienna presso Artaria Comp. Mercanti ed Editori di Stampe/ Musica, e Carte Geografiche.
Stimmen
Erstdruck, 1785
SEI/ QUARTETTI/ PER DUE VIOLINI, VIOLA, E VIOLONCELLO./ Composti e Dedicati/ al Signor/ GIUSEPPE HAYDN/ Maestro di Cappella di S. A./ il Principe d'Esterhazy & &/ Dal Suo Amico/ W. A. MOZART/ Opera X./ In Vienna presso Artaria Comp./ Mercanti ed Editori di Stampe Musica,/ e Carte Geografiche./ [links: Cum. Priv. S. C. M.] [rechts: Prezzo fl. 6. 30.]/ N=o 59.
Stimmen: 160 S.
Erstdruck, 1785
SEI/ QUARTETTI/ PER DUE VIOLINI, VIOLA, E VIOLONCELLO./ Composti e Dedicati/ al Signor/ GIUSEPPE HAYDN/ Maestro di Cappella di S. A./ il Principe d'Esterhazy & &/ Dal Suo Amico/ W. A. MOZART/ Opera X./ In Vienna presso Artaria Comp./ Mercanti ed Editori di Stampe, Musica,/ e Carte Geografiche./ [links: Cum. Priv. S. C. M.] [rechts: Prezzo fl. 6. 30.]/ N=o 59.
Stimmen: 160 S.
Frühdruck, 1787
Sei/ Quartetti/ per due Violini, Viola, e Violoncello./ Composti e dedicati/ al/ Signor/ Giuseppe Haydn/ Maestro di Cappella di S. A. / il Principe d'Esterhazy & & / Dal Suo Amico/ W. A. Mozart/ Opera X
Stimmen: 160 S.
Frühdruck, 1789
Sei/ Quartetti/ per due Violini, Viola, e Violoncello./ Composti e dedicati/ al/ Signor/ Giuseppe Haydn/ Maestro di Cappella di S. A. / il Principe d'Esterhazy & & / Dal Suo Amico/ W. A. Mozart/ Opera X
Stimmen: 44 S.
Frühdruck, 1791
Tre/ Quartetti/ per due Violini, Viola, e Basso./ del Sigr./ Mozart
Stimmen: 44 S.
Frühdruck, 1792
Trois/ Quatuors/ Concertants/ Pour Deux Violons Alto et Basse/ Composés/ et Dedié --/ A Monsieur/ J. Haydn/ Par/ W. A. Mozart
Stimmen: 64 S.
Frühdruck, 1796
London, Sold by P. H. Cardon, No. 1 Lisle Street./ Leicester Square./ Three/ Quartetts/ for/ Two Violins/ Tenor & Violoncello/ Composed & Dedicated to/ Dr. Haydn./ By/ W. A. Mozart
Stimmen
Quartet in E flat for 2 violins, viola and violoncello
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String Quartets and Quartets With Wind Instruments