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The true value of Felix Mendelssohn
Bartholdy’s Three Quartets Op. 44 has yet to
be recognised, although they are certainly
among the most important works the genre
has ever produced. Along with his String
Quartets Op. 12, 13 and 80, his Quintets Op.
18 and 87 and the fine Octet Op. 20, they
form part of a chamber output that has no
equivalent among his contemporaries.
The order in which they are numbered in the definitive edition is substantially
different from the chronological order of composition. By listening to the
quartets in the latter order, one gains a much clearer, more fascinating and
more moving vision of the composer’s budding sensibilities.
30 MENDELSSOHN_TALICH QUARTET