Mozart's 'Haydn' Quartets were so experimental that many contemporaries reacted with incomprehension, though Haydn himself greatly admired them.
Critical Reception
After hearing the first three quartets, Joseph Haydn told Mozart's father that Wolfgang was 'the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name'.
Compositional Technique
The Quartet in C major K465 earned its nickname 'Dissonance' due to its unusually dense and harmonically bold 22-bar slow introduction, which many contemporaries found difficult to understand.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in September 2013 at Teldex Studio Berlin, with Martin Sauer as artistic director.
Composition History
The composition of these six quartets was a significant undertaking for Mozart, described as 'the fruit of long and laborious study,' taking over two years to complete.
Composition History
Mozart dedicated these six string quartets to Joseph Haydn, his 'dear friend' and a composer 24 years his senior.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart's goal with these quartets was not merely to imitate Haydn, but to compete with him on his own ground and potentially surpass him.
