Mozart's piano quartets, unlike the established piano trio, introduce the viola, greatly expanding the melodic and contrapuntal possibilities of the genre.
Composition History
A frequently repeated account states that the Viennese publisher Hoffmeister commissioned three piano quartets but was unhappy with the first, KV 478, finding it too subtle and difficult for amateur musicians.
Compositional Technique
These piano quartets, like Mozart's piano concertos and unlike his string quartets, are structured in three movements: a sonata-form movement, a central slow movement, and a rondo finale.
Cultural Impact
Mozart's original piano quartets had a clear legacy, influencing later works such as the piano quartets of Beethoven and Brahms, and many subsequent piano quintets.
Critical Reception
Despite claims of difficulty, a 1788 review indicated that many members of the nobility and middle class were enthusiastically playing Mozart's KV 478 piano quartet.
Compositional Technique
In these piano quartets, Mozart created a form capable of emulating the textures of both the string quartet and the piano concerto, while also providing its own unique sound.
Composer Biography
Both piano quartets were composed during a prolific three-year period (1784-1786) in which Mozart also wrote twelve piano concertos.
You might also enjoy...
Mozart: Piano Quartets
Mozart: Piano Quartets Nos.1 & 2
Mozart : Piano Quartets Nos 1 & 2
Mozart: Piano Quartets, K. 478 & 493
Mozart: Piano Quartets K. 493 & K. 478
Mozart: Piano Quartets
Mozart: Piano Quartet No.1 In G Minor, K.478; Piano Quartet No.2 In E Flat, K.493
