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2 - Genesis of the ‘Haydn’ quartets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

John Irving
John Irving
Affiliation:
University of Bristol
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Summary

The earliest mention of these quartets comes in a letter Mozart wrote to the Parisian music publisher Jean Georges Sieber on 26 April 1783, in which Mozart tries to interest him in publishing the three piano concertos, K. 413–15, composed in 1782 and 1783. He also notes that he is

not very well pleased, however, with the way in which works are engraved in Vienna … This is to inform you that I have three piano concertos ready, which can be performed with full orchestra, or with oboes and horns, or merely a quattro. Artaria wants to engrave them. But I give you, my old friend, the first refusal … Since I wrote those piano concertos, I have been composing six quartets for two violins, viola and cello. If you would like to engrave these too, I will gladly let you have them. But I cannot allow these to go so cheaply; I mean, I cannot let you have these six quartets under 50 Louis d'or…

Mozart perhaps refers to Sieber as his ‘old friend’ because he had previously engraved the six violin sonatas K.301–6 in 1778 (for 30 Louis d'or). The tone of the letter is familiar, and suggests that Mozart felt confident that his offer might be accepted. It wasn't. Both the concertos and the quartets subsequently appeared in engravings by Artaria, whose work he disparages to Sieber. This might be felt to be ironic, but, in fact, Mozart perhaps knew all along that, should Sieber refuse, Artaria was still waiting in the wings. The quartets appeared in print in about September 1785.

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Mozart: The 'Haydn' Quartets , pp. 12 - 18
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1998

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