Mozart: String Quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn K. 421, 458 'Hunt', 464

Featuring

Abel Tomàs Realp
Vera Martínez Mehner
Jonathan Brown
Arnau Tomàs Realp
Cuarteto Casals
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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Composition History

Mozart dedicated these six quartets to Joseph Haydn, a revered colleague and his 'best friend,' which was unusual at a time when dedications were typically made to wealthy patrons.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Mozart studied Haydn's String Quartets op. 33, which inspired him to return to composing for string quartet after a break of several years, aiming to compete with and possibly surpass Haydn in his own field.

Critical Reception

After a private performance of the first three 'Haydn' Quartets in 1785, Joseph Haydn told Mozart's father that Wolfgang was 'the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name'.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in November 2019 and January 2021 at Teldex Studio Berlin, with Martin Sauer as artistic director and Tobias Lehmann for sound engineering.

Compositional Technique

The String Quartet in B flat major K. 458 earned the nickname 'Hunt' Quartet due to its lively first movement, which features 6/8 time and triadic motifs reminiscent of horn calls.

Composition History

These three string quartets, K. 421, 458, and 464, are part of a cycle of six works by Mozart known as the 'Haydn' Quartets, published in Vienna in 1785.