The Minguet Quartet, founded in 1988, is named after Pablo Minguet, an 18th-century Spanish philosopher who aimed to make the fine arts accessible to everyone.
Composer Biography
Mendelssohn was admitted into Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's home at age 12, an honor due to his teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter being a friend of Goethe.
Historical Context
The string quartet was considered the "royal genre" of chamber music in Mendelssohn's time, owing its rise to Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Composer Biography
Mendelssohn founded Germany's oldest musical institute of higher learning, the Leipzig Conservatory, which today bears his name.
Historical Context
String quartet concerts were primarily attended by "connoisseurs" who often followed along with miniature scores during performances.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mendelssohn considered his three String Quartets, Op. 44, to be "a hundred times better" than all his previous works.
Composer Biography
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born into a banking family, was the grandson of philosopher Moses Mendelssohn and received a Prussian-Protestant upbringing.
