String Quartet No. 18 (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
's String Quartet No. 18 in A major K. 464, the fifth of the Quartets dedicated to Haydn
, was completed in 1785 Mozart's autograph catalogue states as the date of composition "1785. / the 10th January". It is in four movements:
The whole piece is characterized by the use of several different contrapuntal
devices. In England "this quartet is known as the Drum because the cello part in variation six [of the Andante] maintains a staccato
drum-like motion."
This quartet was the model for Beethoven's String Quartet in A major, Opus 18 No. 5
.
In his biography of Mozart entitled Mozart: A Life, musicologist Maynard Solomon
quotes Beethoven as telling his pupil Carl Czerny
that this work with its complex contrapuntal techniques, was Mozart's way of saying to the world, "Look what I could produce, if only you were ready for it."
Even though it is one of Mozart's longest quartets, there is a great economy to the writing. The finale is as monothematic as anything Haydn ever wrote, with all the development deriving from the opening two phrases, and the other movements use of a very small amount of melodic material for their development sections as well. The minuet for example, builds primarily on just two small motifs.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's String Quartet No. 18 in A major K. 464, the fifth of the Quartets dedicated to Haydn
Haydn Quartets (Mozart)
The "Haydn" Quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are a set of six string quartets published in 1785 in Vienna, dedicated to the composer Joseph Haydn. They are considered to be the pinnacle of Classical string quartet writing, containing some of Mozart's most memorable melodic writing and refined...
, was completed in 1785 Mozart's autograph catalogue states as the date of composition "1785. / the 10th January". It is in four movements:
- Allegro
- Menuetto and Trio
- Andante
- Allegro non troppo
The whole piece is characterized by the use of several different contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
devices. In England "this quartet is known as the Drum because the cello part in variation six [of the Andante] maintains a staccato
Staccato
Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation it signifies a note of shortened duration and separated from the note that may follow by silence...
drum-like motion."
This quartet was the model for Beethoven's String Quartet in A major, Opus 18 No. 5
String Quartet No. 5 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 5 in A major was published in 1801 as opus 18, no. 5, and was written between 1798 and 1800. Beethoven modeled this quartet directly on Mozart's quartet in the same key .-Movements:...
.
In his biography of Mozart entitled Mozart: A Life, musicologist Maynard Solomon
Maynard Solomon
Maynard Solomon has carried out a multiple career: he was a co-founder of Vanguard Records as well as a music producer, and later became a writer on music.-Career in the recording industry:...
quotes Beethoven as telling his pupil Carl Czerny
Carl Czerny
Carl Czerny was an Austrian pianist, composer and teacher. He is best remembered today for his books of études for the piano. Czerny's music was profoundly influenced by his teachers, Muzio Clementi, Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Antonio Salieri and Ludwig van Beethoven.-Early life:Carl Czerny was born...
that this work with its complex contrapuntal techniques, was Mozart's way of saying to the world, "Look what I could produce, if only you were ready for it."
Even though it is one of Mozart's longest quartets, there is a great economy to the writing. The finale is as monothematic as anything Haydn ever wrote, with all the development deriving from the opening two phrases, and the other movements use of a very small amount of melodic material for their development sections as well. The minuet for example, builds primarily on just two small motifs.
External links
- Performance of String Quartet No. 18 by the Borromeo String QuartetBorromeo String QuartetThe Borromeo String Quartet is an American string quartet, in residence at the New England Conservatory since 1992. They have performed throughout North and South America, Europe, and Asia, at numerous festivals and in many distinguished chamber music series...
from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
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