Help


from Wikipedia
« »  
After 1820, Schubert returned to the string quartet form, which he had last visited as a teenager.
He wrote the one-movement Quartettsatz in 1820, and the Rosamunde quartet in 1824 using a theme from the incidental music that he wrote for a play that failed.
These quartets are a huge step forward from his initial attempts.
Even Schubert recognized this fact ; in July 1824, he wrote his brother Ferdinand, " it would be better if you stuck to other quartets than mine, for there is nothing in them ..." There are several qualities that set these mature quartets apart from Schubert's earlier attempts.
In the early quartets, it is primarily the first violin that carries the melody, with the other instruments playing supporting roles ; in the later quartets, the part writing is much more advanced, and each instrument brings its own character and presence, for a more complex and integrated texture.
Also, the later quartets are structurally much more integrated, with motifs, harmonies, and textures recurring in a way that ties the entire work together.

1.843 seconds.