Quartets for Flute, Violin, Viola and Violoncello

Mozart Quartets for Flute, Violin, Viola and Violoncello (Parts)

In Mozart’s compositions in the area of chamber music, the quartets with one wind instrument (flute or oboe, violin, viola and violoncello) certainly occupy the most modest place.  This is perhaps because these quartets were all lightly and often enough unwillingly composed for a commission, for a specific occasion or for amusement; though on the other hand we know from a letter to his father written on 14 February 1778, that Mozart “could not abide” the flute, at least as a solo chamber instrument.

The first three flute quartets (K. 285, K. 285a and K. App. 171/285b ) were produced during Mozart’s stay in Mannheim – 30 October 1777 to 14 March 1778.  Johann Baptist Wendling, a flautist and a member of the Mannheim court orchestra and someone whose house Mozart frequented, passed on to Mozart, probably at the beginning of December 1777, the commission of the rich but otherwise unknown Dutch music lover De Jean (Dechamps or Deschamps?) to compose for him for a fee of 200 Gulden “three small, light and short concerti and two quartets for the flute” (cf. Mozart’s letter to his father of 10 December 1777).  De Jean was staying in Mannheim at this time and his offer was certainly most welcome.

The date of composition of the fourth Quartet K.298 is not clear but reserachers think it likely it was composed in Vienna in 1786.

- Urtext of the New Mozart Edition

- Parts (BA4405) and study score format 22.5 x 16.5cm (TP150) available for sale