Mozart’s Lustre

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART – String quartet No. 14 in G major, KV 387; Quintet for two violins, two violas and cello in C minor, KV 406

In a letter to his daughter Nannerl Mozart’s father Leopold quoted Haydn’s words after hearing three new string quartets written by young Wolfgang: “Before God and as an honest man I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name; he has taste, and, furthermore, the most profound knowledge of composition.” Mozart highly esteemed Haydn and considered him to be a great master of the chamber music and in particular quartet genre. This programme features one of Mozart’s six string quartets written in Vienna and dedicated to Haydn. Due to its cheerful character and youthful flair the quartet has been nicknamed Spring.

Another opus on the programme is of absolutely different nature – written in a minor key it is much more dramatic. Mozart composed six string quintets in Vienna during last years of his life. The String quintet in C minor is a combination of exquisite melodies, perfect form and a range of moods – from elated to lyrical and mournfully dramatic. In this opus the Vilnius String Quartet shares the stage with violist Gabrielė Zaneuskaitė, a graduate of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.