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16 MENDELSSOHN
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 opp.12, 13 and 80,
his Quintets opp.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 inwhich the quartet are numbered in the definitive edition is substantially
different from the chronological order of composition. By listening to them in
quartets in the latter order, one gains a much clearer, more fascinating and more
moving vision of the composer’s budding sensibilities.