Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, K. 493, was written after

Franz Anton Hoffmeister Franz Anton Hoffmeister (12 May 1754 – 9 February 1812) was an Austrian composer and History of music publishing, music publisher. Early years Franz Anton Hoffmeister was born in Rottenburg am Neckar (Further Austria) on 12 May 1754. At ...

released Mozart from the obligation of writing three piano quartets.

Composition and reception

Mozart received a commission for three quartets in

1785 Events January–March * January 1 – The first issue of the ''Daily Universal Register'', later known as ''The Times'', is published in London. * January 7 – Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries tr ...

from the publisher

. Hoffmeister thought the G minor Quartet (K. 478) was too difficult and that the public would not buy it, so he released Mozart from the obligation of completing the set. Nine months later, Mozart composed this quartet anyway, completing it on 3 June 1786.Melvin Berger, ''Guide to Chamber Music'', 2001, Dover. p. 300

Movements

The work is in three movements: #

Allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

, common time # Larghetto, 3/8,

A-flat major A-flat major (or the key of A-flat) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has four flats. The A-flat major scale is: : Its relative minor is F minor. Its parallel minor, A-flat minor, ...

# Allegretto, cut time

Editions and versions

The C. F. Peters Edition set of parts has

rehearsal letter A rehearsal letter is a boldface letter of the alphabet in an orchestral score, and its corresponding parts, that provides the conductor, who typically leads rehearsals, with a convenient spot to tell the orchestra to begin at places other than th ...

s throughout the whole work; the Eulenburg Edition study score has measure numbers but no rehearsal letters, the same goes for

Bärenreiter Bärenreiter (Bärenreiter-Verlag) is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle (1903–1975) in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still has its headquarters; it also ...

Discography

Before CDs, almost all repeats were ignored to bring the whole piece at about 24 minutes in duration, thus allowing it to fit on one side of a phonograph record; the other side could then have the K. 478 at about 22 minutes (with repeats also ignored). Following all repeats brings the piece to about 29 to 30 minutes. Alfred Brendel has recorded this work with members of the Alban Berg Quartett (without second violinist

Gerhard Schulz Gerhard Schulz (1 June 1931 – 2 October 2008) was a German equestrian who competed in the sport of eventing. He was born in Hartensdorf, Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germ ...

); the Angel Records disc includes Brendel and the quartet playing the Piano Concerto in A major, K. 414. However, it is far more common to pair this Quartet with the K. 478 Quartet; to give two examples: the Hyperion CD with Paul Lewis and the Leopold String Trio, and the Naxos recording by the Menuhin Festival Piano Quartet. The CBS Masterworks recording with Yo-Yo Ma, Jaime Laredo, Isaac Stern and Emanuel Ax, in addition to the two Quartets, also includes the Kegelstatt Trio, K. 498.

Notes

References

* *

External links

* * Chamber music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Mozart 2 Compositions in E-flat major 1786 compositions {{chamber-composition-stub