The early quartets of Schubert have been composed for the family circle, but spraying of vigor and ingenuity. These are all early works with high ambitions. The experimentation of the Master occurs mainly in the quartets held in Moll to the fore, although he was severely restricted, because his father, who traditionally played the cello, far from being a virtuoso was.
Before Schubert went to the composition of his last quartets, he made this genre a long pause, especially around as an opera composer to make a name. . The Quartet No. 12 remained unfinished: Only the first set and a fragment of a slow movement are obtained. Why Schubert broke composing is unclear, because what has been preserved of this quartet is more than promising.
The "Rosamunde Quartet" in A minor is then his first great success in the field of the string quartet and the quartet "Death and the Maiden" should be second, even if these works are still by no means perfect, so quasi beethovensch. Nevertheless, the latter seems particularly beguiling if only because of his gloomy mood.
However, the string quartet, which can take on Beethoven and Schubert's String Quintet with, is the 15th in G major. Abstract, brusque and dismissive, yet infinitely beautiful, picturesque and impalpable skyward striving Gebart it to the listener. On his deathbed Schubert is said to have wished that him the cis minor quartet Beethoven will be played. Him and the world was not aware at this time (yet) that Schubert had already created even with the string quintet and the G major quartet its own masterpieces.
The Melos Quartet, unfortunately something is overshadowed better-known quartets interpreted especially the later works excellently. With a lot of time and feel it takes to even the lesser-known quartets of Schubert and also makes this an incomparable delicacy to consume the one should not be missed.
