The Complete String Quartets III. [antikvár]

CONTENTS (Numbers in Brackets are the 0. E. Deutsch Thematic Catalogue Nos.) VOL. I (Lea Pocket Score No. 51) String Quartets 1-6 : Page No. 1 in c minor (1812) {D.ISJ 1 No. 2 in C major (1812) LD.32]_____ . 11 No. 3 in ßb-major (1812) {D.36} 19 No. 4 in C major (1813) tD.46] 37 No. 5 in ßb major (1813) LD.68} 53 No. 6 in D major (1813) CD.74} 71 VOL. II (Lea Pocket Score No. 52) String Quartets 7-11: Page No. 7 in D major (1813) tD.941____ 93 No. 8 in ßb major, Op. 168 (1814) {D.112} 109 No. 9 in g minor (1815) {D.I73}. . . 129 No. 10 in Lb major, Op. 125/1 (1813) tD.87} 147 No. 11 in E major, Op. 125/2 (1816) {D.353} 165 VOL. III—(Lea Pocket Score No. 53) String Quartets 12-15 : Page No. 12 in c minor, Quartettsatz (1820) CD.7031 183 No. 13 in a minor, Op. 29 (1824) {0.804} 191 No. 14 in d minor, "Death and the Maiden" (1826) [D.810} 215 No. 15 in G major, Op. 161 (1826) CD.887} 251 Appendix: Fragment of Second Movement (Andante) of No. 12 287 - 107 NOTES Franz Schubert (1797-1828) left a legacy with his string quartets that contains at least a half dozen of the masterpieces in this medium, by anyone's count. It is the more amazing that of the set of fifteen, more than half have been as good as unknown, ignored in the concert hall and until recently by the recording companies, and almost half not even available in pocket score edition, until the appearance of the present volumes. True, more than half of the quartets were written by a fifteen- or sixteen-year old (where the dates in the above list differ from those in the German title page opposite, a revision is involved that takes more recent discoveries and opinions into account). But Schubert, besides being born with a musical gift second to none, had also the advantage of invaluable practical training in the form of regular domestic chamber music sessions (with his father playing the cello, Franz the viola) at which he acquired a very early familiarity with Haydn's and Mozart's quartets, among others. The last four quartets, among the most popular of the whole literature, show a mastery of writing and depth of imagination by which we can measure the tragedy of Schubert's early death. Why the c-minor quartet was not finished is open to speculation. The not inconsiderable fragment of the second movement, referred to by Alfred Einstein in his Schubert biography as "an indescribably rich and tragic Andante," is published here for the first time in easily accessible form. The song on which the second movement of the "Death and the Maiden" quartet is based was written in 1817. The second movenuent of Op. 29 also has a precursor, the Andantino from Schubert's Rosamunde music of 1823. The same Andantino he used again for one of his Impromptus for piano. The present volumes are based on the Complete Works edition of Breitkopf & Härtel, better known as the Urtext edition, which is derived from the first printed editions and from the composer's autographs. The Appendix is based on the Revisionsbericht (Editors' Report) volume of the Collected Works edition.