String Quartet No. 13 (Schubert)

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The String Quartet No. 13 in A minor (the Rosamunde Quartet), D. 804, Op. 29, was written by Franz Schubert between February and March 1824. It dates roughly to the same time as his monumental Death and the Maiden Quartet, emerging around three years after his previous attempt to write for the string quartet genre, the Quartettsatz that he never finished.

The Rosamunde Quartet was the only string quartet which Schubert published during his lifetime. Schubert dedicated the work to Schuppanzigh, who served as the first violinist of the string quartet appointed by Beethoven. Schuppanzigh himself played in the premiere performance which took place on March 14, 1824.

The quartet consists of four movements which last around 30 minutes in total.

''Allegro ma non troppo
''Andante
''Menuetto – Allegretto – Trio
''Allegro moderato

The first movement borrows the melancholic theme from one of Schubert's earliest songs, Gretchen am Spinnrade. It is the second movement, however, which has lent the Quartet its nickname, being based on a theme from the incidental music for Rosamunde. (This famous theme reappeared in the Impromptu in B-flat written three years later). The minuet is inspired by the melody of another song by Schubert, Die Götter Griechenlands, D. 677.

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