Haydn Quartets (Mozart)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781 to begin his freelance career. Joseph Haydn had completed his influential Opus 33 String Quartets the year before. The two composers admired each other deeply during this period. Singer Michael Kelly later claimed that Haydn once led a quartet session with Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf on second violin. Mozart played viola while Johann Baptist Wanhal handled the cello part. This gathering never actually happened according to modern scholars, yet it illustrates the mutual respect between the men. Mozart had not composed for string ensembles since his Viennese Quartets of 1773. He wrote six new string quartets between 1782 and 1785 dedicated to Haydn.
Mozart published his dedication page on the 1st of September 1785 in Italian. The language served as high culture speech throughout 18th-century Vienna. A father who resolved to send his children out into the great world took it upon himself to confide them to the protection of a very celebrated Man. These six children were the fruit of long and laborious endeavor. Mozart hoped they would serve to afford him solace one day. He asked Haydn to receive them kindly and be their Father Guide and Friend. Less than a year earlier Ignaz Pleyel had also dedicated his Opus 2 Quartets to Haydn. Those works sold widely after their release. Mozart likely urged his father to seek out Pleyel's Opus 1 Quartets because they followed simple marketable music advice.
The basic form of these six Haydn Quartets included four movements like symphony forms. First movement appeared as Allegro in sonata form. Second movement featured Adagio or Andante in sonata form. Third movement contained Minuetto and Trio sections. Fourth movement ended with Allegro in sonata rondo or variation form. The slow movement found in either second or third positions became the emotional center of each quartet. They featured rich cantabile melodic writing with thematic multiplicity and embellishment. This style displayed a departure from the Haydnesque mode entirely. Sturm und Drang appeared in No. 15 in D minor while tonal mysteriousness opened No. 16 in E-flat major. Opera buffa styled light-heartedness filled the finale of No. 17 in B-flat major known as the Hunt.
Mozart pitched Jean-Georges Sieber on publishing his six quartets before finishing them. He requested 50 Louis d'or as a fee for the work. Artaria & Company announced publication of all six quartets on the 17th of September 1785 in Wiener Zeitung. Leopold Mozart stated that the firm paid the composer 100 ducats for publishing rights. Original plates wore out and had to be re-engraved for a 1791 reissue. Artaria reissued them again in 1787 and 1789. The financial negotiations reflected commercial strategy behind dedicating works to Haydn. Sixteen different composers would dedicate their string quartets to Haydn between 1784 and 1811. Mozart's decision probably aimed to increase sales through this prestigious association.
A 1789 review in Cramer's Magazin der Musik described Mozart's quartets with mixed feelings. Critics noted he had a decided leaning towards difficult and unusual elements. They also acknowledged great and elevated ideas testifying to bold spirit. Giuseppe Sarti wrote an attack on Dissonance quartet K. 465 describing sections as barbarous execrable and miserable. François-Joseph Fétis went so far as to correct the piece implying errors existed. By 1799 an anecdote claimed engraving was full of mistakes when sent to Italy. Heinrich Christoph Koch felt works were praiseworthy for mixture of strict and free styles. Favorable reports came soon after publication from newspapers in Salzburg and Berlin. Jérôme-Joseph de Momigny wrote extended analysis of No. 15 in D minor using text based on Dido's Lament.
The Haydn Quartets remain some of Mozart's most famous works today. They represent core of his work in string ensemble genre. These pieces are considered established keystones of chamber music repertoire. Audiences hear them frequently in concerts radio broadcasts and recordings. Six string quartets published in Vienna as Opus 10 form this set. String Quartet No. 14 in G major known as Spring appeared the 31st of December 1782. String Quartet No. 19 in C major called Dissonance arrived the 14th of January 1785. The collection stands as foundational material for modern performers and listeners alike.
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Common questions
When did Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart move to Vienna to begin his freelance career?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart moved to Vienna in 1781. This relocation marked the start of his independent professional life as a composer.
What dates define the composition period for the Haydn Quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Mozart wrote six new string quartets between 1782 and 1785 dedicated to Joseph Haydn. String Quartet No. 14 appeared on the 31st of December 1782 while String Quartet No. 19 arrived on the 14th of January 1785.
Who were the musicians involved in the quartet session described by Michael Kelly involving Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
Singer Michael Kelly claimed that Joseph Haydn led the session with Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf on second violin. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played viola while Johann Baptist Wanhal handled the cello part.
How much money did Leopold Mozart receive from Artaria & Company for publishing rights to the Haydn Quartets?
Leopold Mozart stated that the firm paid the composer 100 ducats for publishing rights. The financial negotiations reflected commercial strategy behind dedicating works to Haydn.
Which specific string quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart received negative reviews regarding dissonance in the late 18th century?
Giuseppe Sarti wrote an attack on Dissonance quartet K. 465 describing sections as barbarous execrable and miserable. François-Joseph Fétis went so far as to correct the piece implying errors existed.