Mozart: String Quartet No. 21, Prussian No. 1 | Gewandhaus Quartet

Four strings in perfect balance: The Gewandhaus Quartet plays Mozart's String Quartet No. 21 in D major, K. 575, “Prussian No. 1”, in the historic surrounds of Rammenau Baroque Castle, 2005.

(00:00) I. Allegretto
(07:15) II. Andante
(11:26) III. Menuetto: Allegretto
(17:25) IV. Allegretto

Of the 23 string quartets composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791), the final three bear the epithet 'Prussian' – as it is said that Prussian king Frederick William II commissioned them from Mozart. Mozart did in fact travel to Potsdam and Berlin – among other places – in the spring of 1789, with the intention of offering his service as a composer to the Prussian king. Frederick William II had succeeded his uncle Frederick II on the Prussian throne upon his death and, like his uncle, was known to be a great lover and supporter of music. He himself also played the cello. This fabled meeting of Mozart and the music-loving king, however, never took place. Mozart apparently traveled back to Vienna without having received a royal commission, and completed the first of the 'Prussian' string quartets in June of 1789. Although he did dedicate it to the new King of Prussia in his 'catalog raisonné', the dedication was no longer present in the finalised original score.

The connection to cello-playing Frederick William II remained nonetheless apparent, as the cello features so prominently in the three 'Prussian' string quartets. In string quartets, it is typically the first violin that sets the tone, but here the leading role is often granted to the cello. It's the cello that determines the course of the 'conversation' between the string instruments. Mozart succeeded in bringing the interplay of the four strings into almost perfect balance, regardless. In particular, String Quartet No. 21 in D major stands out for its balance of form. Its lyrical, cheerful character is reminiscent of the 'galant' style, so highly favored in Prussia at the time.

The Gewandhaus Quartet (also known as the Leipzig Gewandhaus Quartet) was founded in 1808, thereby making it one of the world's oldest professional quartets. It is made up of the soloists and concertmasters of the Gewandhaus Orchestra. The Gewandhaus Quartet have performed numerous premieres of works by renowned composers.

Performing in this concert:
Frank-Michael Erben (first violin)
Conrad Suske (second violin)
Volker Metz (viola)
Jürnjakob Timm (cello)

© EuroArts Music International

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