String Quartets, Volume 1

After Volumes IV and III of the series with Mozartâ??s complete string quartets appeared as Henle Urtext editions in early 2017 and 2019 respectively Mozart expert Wolf-Dieter Seiffert now presents Volume II â?? in full score and individual parts. Included are the â??Early Viennese Quartetsâ? from 1773 K. 168â??173. Entries in the autograph manuscript by the composerâ??s father Leopold however suggest that the ordering of the six works into a unified series of quartets was his doing. In his preface Wolf-Dieter Seiffert shares brand-new findings on the actual chronology of the genesis of these quartets. Moreover he succeeds in correcting what in prior editions were occasionalinaccuracies in dynamics and articulation thereby producing a new assured musical text. With artistic input from the Armida Quartet Volume II of the String Quartets also sets the benchmark in the Mozart Edition! After Volumes IV and III of the series with Mozartâ??s complete string quartets appeared as Henle Urtext editions in early 2017 and 2019 respectively Mozart expert Wolf-Dieter Seiffert now presents Volume II â?? in full score and individual parts. Included are the â??Early Viennese Quartetsâ? from 1773 K. 168â??173. Entries in the autograph manuscript by the composerâ??s father Leopold however suggest that the ordering of the six works into a unified series of quartets was his doing. In his preface Wolf-Dieter Seiffert shares brand-new findings on the actual chronology of the genesis of these quartets. Moreover he succeeds in correcting what in prior editions were occasionalinaccuracies in dynamics and articulation thereby producing a new assured musical text. With artistic input from the Armida Quartet Volume II of the String Quartets also sets the benchmark in the Mozart Edition!

Hoffmeister Quartet and Prussian Quartets-Over the next few years all 26 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?s String Quartets will be published by Henle in an Urtext Edition of both score and parts. All previous editions have left much to be desired for example asconcerns the correct placement of dynamic markings.Henle?s edition made with the artistic collaboration of the Armida Quartet draws upon the large body of modern knowledge concerning Mozart philology andperformance practice. We begin with what are chronologically speaking the final four quartets: the so-called ?Hoffmeister? Quartet K. 499 and the three ?Prussian? Quartets K. 575 589 and 590.It is possible that the impulse behind the composition of these last three works was the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II who was an excellent cellist. Modern cellists will find many beautiful melodies to enjoy in thesequartets.

Best Loved Stringquartets. A popular genre in the 18th century, divertimenti offered listeners a lighthearted diversion at social functions. Mozart wrote these three pieces for string quartet in Salzburg in 1772. The three-movement Italian-style compositions require only wind parts to assume another form, hence their common description as the Salzburg Symphonies. Students, teachers, and professional string players will prize this authoritative collection of three divertimenti plus three additional quartets by the ever-popular composer. This convenient single-volume version is the least expensive edition available of these works, and its sturdy binding allows pages to remain open on music stands, promising years of use and enjoyment.

String Quartets Book II op. 9-Six works belong to opus 9 the first group of Haydn’s String quartets of which we know. The composer also went new ways as far as form was concerned: whereas he had still adhered to the five movement divertimento inthe previous quartets opus 1 and 2 in this case he favoured four movements something he continued in the future. Apart from this he also expanded the register and experimented with metric surprises (for instance in the trio ofthe minuet from the G major quartet).

String Quartets Book III op. 17-The autograph score of the Quartets op. 17 was in the possession of the imperial police chief Johann Nepomuk Neuwirth whose widow gave it to the Wiener Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1875. It is said thatHaydn ?used to play the viola in quartet rehearsals? at the Neuwirth?s house. Whether the Quartets op. 17 were composed for these gatherings can no longer be ascertained. However even today they stillhave a fixed place amongst the music of all chamber music friends and in particular nos. 4 5 and 6 which are very different to the divertimento style of the early quartets are played again and again.