Thread: Mozart's String Quartets

Compare to Haydn or Beethoven, where string quartet is part of their success, when talk about Mozart string quartet is not the one that automatically pop out in mind. So I guess this is little discussed topic.For complete list see here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...tring_quartets

What is your favorite Mozart's string quartets?

I like the Hoffmeister Quartet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_...No._20_(Mozart) ), also the rest of Prussian set. Also owned the Haydn Quartet. No.14 and 15 by
Cleveland String Quartet. My favorite is the set by Hagen String Quartet.

Never really heard the early quartets though.

Any comments will do.

I quite enjoy the quartets Mozart dedicated to Haydn. I have these works played by Quatour Mosaiques (no.14 to 23), and also by The Salomon Quartet, both are period instrument groups. (The latter also playing Eine Kleine Nachtmusik K.525). These recordings in my opinion bring out the Classical form and elegance with the historically informed approach.

I have yet to explore Beethoven's quartets to the same extent I have done with Mozart's and Haydn's.

K458 'La Chasse' in B Flat is just about a perfect piece of music to my ears, always liked it. It is perhaps very easy to like, but that's no bad thing. The slow movement can be quite moving, and the infectious joy of the outer movements form a fine contrast to the more melancholy inner ones.

And then when talk about Mozart's , the most popular maybe no.19 in C "Dissonance". A bit hint that non-atonal style already in Mozart mind?

Quatour Mosaiques

case closed

Robert

Originally Posted by HarpsichordConcerto

I quite enjoy the quartets Mozart dedicated to Haydn. I have these works played by Quatour Mosaiques (no.14 to 23),

Do you happen to have a link handy where I can look into buying that?

Quatour Mosaiques you can buy used or new at www.amazon.com go to music and then quatour mosaiques all their works will come up. BTW they also have the best Haydn cycle....

Robert

Yeah - the Quatuor Mosaiques have really outdone themselves with the Haydn set. They actually make it very attractive, even for non-Haydn worshippers.

As for the Mozart quartet cycles - they're all very pleasant middle-upper class Viennese chamber music to air when wearing lycra tights and pommel hair-do's. Mozart does his best to make jolly music. It's nice that it makes people jolly happy. I doubt the majority of Mozart string quartet listeners actually fathom one from another. They probably like them all played in the background, like the way some shops like doing jungle beat music or drum n' bass to chill in the background.

Can't say I have any Mozart favourites :P

I think many would say Mozart's last 10 quartets at least are not background music, and of course Haydn himself gave a very positive opinion on Mozart's later efforts in this genre. The string quartet was far more important to Haydn than to Mozart which is why Haydn composed far more in this area than the younger composer.

Quatuor Mosaiques also have recorded the Clarinet Quintet K. 581, and the kegelstatt Clarinet Trio K. 498.

The Clarinet Quintet is one of the very best chamber music of the Classical era, and nothing written by later composers for that combination/similar come close. Mozart nearest to pre-Romantic, some say. And you need to get your head examined if you think the Clarinet Quintet is nothing special.

I really enjoyed No.14, 16 and 19.

Originally Posted by HarpsichordConcerto

Quatuor Mosaiques also have recorded the Clarinet Quintet K. 581, and the kegelstatt Clarinet Trio K. 498.

The Clarinet Quintet is one of the very best chamber music of the Classical era, and nothing written by later composers for that combination/similar come close. Mozart nearest to pre-Romantic, some say. And you need to get your head examined if you think the Clarinet Quintet is nothing special.

No argument here.......

Robert

Wolfie's 'Haydn' Quartets are fantastic--I would argue they are in fact some of the best work he ever produced.

The 'Prussian' Quartets no less: why they are somehow belittled is a total mystery.

http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-String-...110062&sr=1-10

Originally Posted by Joker64

I really enjoyed No.14, 16 and 19.

No16, the E Flat one it seems k428, is surely one of his best. The first 2 movements are quite Mozartian, the last 2 a bit more Haydnesque perhaps.

Is it just me or do the Prussian ones reflect a slightly more intimate and lighter (I don't mean not serious, just not as 'heavy' in sound) sound or texture? That reflects some of his other later music like the Clarinet Quintet or the Piano Concerto 27.

The Mozart String Quartets are to me the greatest music ever written, as I have just been sounding off in my first post. (This is my second!)

And as chance would have it, my favourite is the same as Jurianbai's, the Hoffmeister!
I love its joyous start particularly.