Mozart's 'Haydn' Quartets are named as such because Mozart intensively studied Haydn's new quartet style, particularly his 'Russian' Quartets, before composing them.
Composer Biography
In 1782, the year Mozart composed the G-major quartet, he was frequently studying, performing, and transcribing Bach's fugues in Baron van Swieten's library.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart's 'Haydn' Quartets, while influenced by Haydn, introduce darker, more enigmatic elements like gloomy chromatic passages and daring modulations not typically found in Haydn's work.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mozart himself described his 'Haydn' Quartets as 'the fruit of long and laborious work,' indicating the significant effort he put into their creation.
Compositional Technique
Haydn and Mozart's new quartet style, as exemplified in these works, features equal treatment of all four instruments, moving away from the dominance of the first violin.
Performer Biography
The Merel Quartet, founded in 2002, is praised for its stylistic awareness and versatility, performing a repertoire spanning three centuries from Bach to contemporary composers.
Recording & Production
This album is part of the 'Artist Consort' series, which aims to give performing artists, rather than the market, control over classical music recordings, from repertoire selection to booklet notes.
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