String Quartet in B flat major, K.458 (the “Hunt”) (1784)

1 Allegro vivace assai 2 Menuetto: moderato 3 Adagio 4 Allegro assai

Op.18 (1826–1832)

1 Allegro con moto 2 Intermezzo: andante sostenuto 3 Scherzo: allegro di molto

4 Allegro vivace

Of the six quartets Mozart dedicated to Haydn, K458 was the least likely to disconcert their contemporaries. The galloping 6/8 rhythms and ourdoor harmonies of the first movement were such familiar items in the classical vocabulary as to earn the work its “Hunt” nickname at an early stage in its existence. After a reassuringly modest Menuetto, however, harmonic equilibrium is severely threatened in the minor-key episodes of the Adagio and it takes an uncommonly exuberant finale, with an abundance of unhibited major-key melody, to restore the carefree mood postulated by the first movement.

1 Allegro vivace assai 2 Menuetto: moderato 3 Adagio 4 Allegro assai

While Haydn wholeheartedly approved of the six String Quartets Mozart dedicated to him in 1785, many of even his most sophisticated contemporaries did not. These “fruits of long and laborious effort,” as Mozart described them, must have seemed more than a little self-conscious at the time. This is not, however, a criticism that could be levelled at K.485 in B flat major, which is the most relaxed and most Haydnesque in the whole series.

One indication of Mozart’s informal intentions here that he chose not only to set the Allegro vivace assai in a galloping 6/8 time but also to introduce an outdoor sound by presenting the cheerful opening theme in hunting-horn thirds and fifths. It is true that, by introducing a new melodic idea in the middle, he reshapes the conventional first-movement structure. He compensates, however, by offering a reassuringly modest Menuetto. The Adagio, on the other hand, is something special. The initial approach is disarming but, after the serenade-like opening in E flat major, the mood changes. The first violin suggests a modulation to C minor and, as the others concur, breaks into an elaborately phrased lament so effectively expressive that the cello is drawn into sympathetic dialogue. To restore the carefree mood the of the first movement, it takes an uncommonly exuberant finale with an abundance of uninhibited major-key melody.

While Haydn wholeheartedly approved of the six String Quartets Mozart dedicated to him in 1785, many of even his most sophisticated contemporaries did not. Certainly, in comparison with the apparently effortless masterpieces of Haydn’s maturity, some of these “fruits of long and laborious effort,” as Mozart described them, can seem a little self-conscious from time to time. This is not, however, a criticism that could be levelled at K.485 in B flat major, which is the most relaxed and most Haydnesque in the whole series.

One indication of Mozart’s informal intentions here that he chose not only to set the Allegro vivace assai in a galloping 6/8 time but also to introduce an outdoor sound by presenting the cheerful opening theme in hunting-horn thirds and fifths. Another is the entry of a new melodic idea in the middle of the movement - which is both a surprise and a very good reason for a much extended coda.

Having so radically, and yet so disarmingly, reshaped the conventional first-movement structure, Mozart goes on to offer a reassuringly modest Menuetto. The Adagio, on the other hand, is something special. The initial approach is disarming but, after the serenade-like opening in E flat major, the mood changes. The first violin suggests a modulation to C minor and, as the others concur, breaks into an elaborately phrased lament so effectively expressive that the cello is drawn into sympathetic dialogue.

To restore the carefree mood the of the first movement, it takes an uncommonly exuberant finale with an abundance of uninhibited major-key melody, all three of its main themes cheerfully frank in personality.

Although Haydn wholeheartedly approved of the six String Quartets Mozart dedicated to him in 1785, many of even his most sophisticated contemporaries did not. Certainly, in comparison with the apparently effortless masterpieces of Haydn’s maturity, some of these “fruits of long and laborious effort,” as Mozart described them, do seem a little self-conscious from time to time. This is not, however, a criticism that could be levelled at K.485 in B flat major, which is the most relaxed and most Haydnesque in the whole series.

It is an indication of Mozart’s informal intentions here that he chose not only to set the Allegro vivace assai in a galloping 6/8 time but also to introduce a sound from out of doors by presenting the cheerful opening theme in hunting-horn thirds and fifths. The unaffected spontaneity of the approach to the second subject is worthy of Haydn himself. The entry of a new melodic idea on violin and viola in the middle of the movement is both a surprise and a very good reason for a much extended coda with a compensatory review of both main themes.

Having so radically, and yet so disarmingly, reshaped the conventional first-movement structure, Mozart goes on to offer a reassuringly modest Menuetto. The Adagio, on the other hand, is something special. The initial approach is disarming but, after the serenade-like opening in E flat major, the mood suddenly changes. The first violin suggests a modulation to C minor and, as the others concur, breaks into an elaborately phrased lament so effectively expressive that the cello is drawn into sympathetic dialogue. The same emotions are experienced over again in the second half of the movement, after which harmonic equilibrium is not easily regained.

In fact, to restore the carefree mood the of the first movement, it takes an uncommonly exuberant finale with an abundance of uninhibited major-key melody. There are three main themes, all of them - in spite of the tendency of the second of them to get involved in complex rhythmic syncopations - cheerfully frank in personality.

Although Haydn was very happy with the six String Quartets Mozart dedicated to him in 1785, many of even his most sophisticated contemporaries were not. Dittersdorf considered them “worthy of the highest praise” but complained of their “overwhelming and unrelenting artfulness.” In a similar frame of mind, the critic of the influential Magazin der Musik found them “too highly seasoned.” And, in comparison with the apparently effortless masterpieces of Haydn’s maturity, some of these “fruits of long and laborious effort,” as Mozart described them in his dedication, do seem more than a little self-conscious from time to time. This is not, however, a criticism that could be levelled at K.485 in B flat major, which is the most relaxed and most Haydnesque in the whole series.

Mozart and his Viennese contemporaries often chose a compound metre like 6/8 for their finales, where it could be useful in creating a galloping momentum in the progress towards the closing bars, but rarely for their first movements, which require more stability. It is an indication of Mozart’s informal intentions in the String Quartet in B flat that he chose not only to set the Allegro vivace assai in 6/8 time but also to introduce a sound from out of doors by presenting the cheerful opening theme on the two violins in thirds and fifths - which attracted the “Hunt” nickname to the work at an early stage in its existence. The unaffected spontaneity of Mozart’s approach to the second subject, by way of an apparently chance encounter with a tiny wriggling motif, is worthy of Haydn himself. The entry of a new melodic idea on violin and viola in the middle of the movement is both a surprise and, since it means that the first subject gets no part to play in the development, a very good reason for a much extended coda with a compensatory review of both main themes.

Having so radically, and yet so disarmingly, reshaped the conventional first-movement structure, Mozart goes on to offer a reassuringly modest Menuetto, which is entertaining rather than disturbing in its persistent emphasis on the second beat of the bar and irresistible in its charmingly scored trio section.

The Adagio, on the other hand, is something special. Again the approach is disarming but, after the serenade-like opening in E flat major, the mood suddenly changes. The first violin suggests a modulation to C minor and, as the others concur, breaks into an elaborately phrased lament so effectively expressive that the cello is drawn into sympathetic dialogue. Although the harmonies seem to clarify into B flat major, they immediately slip back into the minor, provoking another exchange of nostalgic intimacies on first violin and cello. The same emotions are experienced over again in the second half of the movement, after which harmonic equilibrium is not easily regained.

In fact, to restore the carefree mood the of the first movement, it takes an uncommonly exuberant (2/4) finale with an abundance of uninhibited major-key melody. There are three main themes, all of them cheerfully frank in personality in spite of the tendency of the second of them to get involved in complex rhythmic syncopations. Clearly made for imitative counterpoint, the main theme duly gets involved in a canonic episode in the development section and, having fulfilled its textural function, contrives an irrepressibly happy ending.