
Schubert: String Quartets D.87 & D.887
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1/7Performer Biography
Cuarteto Casals, formed in Madrid in 1997, has won first prizes at the 2000 London International Competition and the 2002 Brahms International Competition.
Compositional Technique
In his Quartet D87, Schubert began to introduce typically orchestral techniques into his chamber music, such as unusual tremolo figures that dominate the inner voices.
Composer Biography
At 16, Franz Schubert was threatened with expulsion from the Vienna Stadtkonvikt by Emperor Francis I for poor academic performance, despite his musical talent.
Composer Biography
Schubert's self-doubt about his early quartets is evident in the eight-year gap between 1816 and 1824 when he composed almost no string quartets.
Composition History
Schubert left the Stadtkonvikt and began training as a primary teacher, but music, which was considered a 'subsidiary matter' by the Emperor, became the true focus of his life.
Critical Reception
Schubert did not attempt to publish his early quartets, as he was aware of their 'lightweight quality' compared to the works of the great Viennese composers.
Composition History
Schubert's family string quartet, where his father played cello, his older brothers violin, and he played viola, was a major inspiration for his early creative works.


















