Quartetto Cremona

Inspired by Joseph Haydn, Mozart composed a collection of six string quartets. It took three years, and in the dedication to Haydn, Mozart wrote that the quartets were “the fruit of a long and laborious endeavour” and added “o great man and dearest friend”. 

While the quartets may be strongly influenced by Haydn, they are nearly illuminated by the spirit of Mozart. The last piece in the collection is called the Dissonance Quartet, named after its striking and slow introduction. Here, Mozart truly shows his multifaceted personality.

And to be sure, we can say the same of Beethoven. He composed sixteen string quartets, the later of which shattered all boundaries. As if he wanted the music to depict the freedom of thought and soul. The Quartet in A-minor, Opus 132, is his second to last and among the most fascinating pieces in the quartet literature. Between the quartets of both giants, we will also hear Hidden Place by Israeli Aviya Kopelman, who has garnered acclaim for her collaboration with the Kronos Quartet.