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NOTES IN ENGLISH CARBONARE
Mozart’s Quartet in F major, written in June 1790 and with no dedication, begins with an Allegro
moderato in which the main theme carries within it the tension which will then be balanced out, though only
in part, in the second more alluring theme. Both this first movement and the Minuetto and final Allegro are
dominated by capricious motif contrasts, which in the end constitute the main characteristic of this quartet,
distinguishing it from the tranquil and relaxed feel of the other “Prussian” quartets. In the second movement,
the Allegretto, the cello has the lead role; the tempo develops calmly in a single serene contemplative
passage, with the use of ornamental arabesques. The Minuetto returns to the capricious spirit using
“realistic”, sometime almost rough, devices; for example a motif appears which is used in German dances
and resembles a grotesque rumbling. The finale, an Allegro in the form of a sonata, takes the expressive
power of the whole quartet to a maximum; the theme is strongly reminiscent of Haydn both in its fresh and
sparkling vivacity and in the idea of developing it from the initial exposition. Haydn’s influence is also found
in the density of the polyphonic fabric and in the finale where the grave sound of the bass notes recalls the
bagpipes.
Allegro KV Anh. 91 for string quartet and bass clarinet
Rondo KV Anh. 88 for string quartet and bass clarinet
Among the many works left by Mozart are numerous drafts of movements of the most varied nature,
sometimes reworkings of existing music, which in their turn may remain unfinished. This is the case with the
93 bars for string quartet and clarinet in B flat major, catalogued by Köchel as Anh 91 (subsequently KV
516c in the sixth edition of the catalogue). The clarinet part is written in the bass clef, suggesting it might
have been intended for a Krummhorn, or basset-horn, which Mozart would make the lead instrument in
Sesto’s aria in the Clemenza di Tito. The beginning of the 93 bars in question shows a strong thematic
relationship with a previous fragment, the incipit of a Minuet for string quartet (KV 458a). De Saint-Foix
noted: “A general examination of the music of this quintet ultimately convinces us of the very late date of its
composition, which we should try to place immediately alongside the famous Quintet in A. fact, the
diaphanous colour, the ethereal nature of this music place it, in our opinion, immediately among the
compositions which display that indescribable purity which so clearly and poetically distinguishes Mozart’s
final inspiration”.
The 89 bars of the fragment Anh. 88 (now KV 581a), on the other hand, appear to derive from a composition
polished in every aspect. Recent studies have identified in the piece a transcription of Ferrando’s aria “Ah! Io
veggio quell’anima bella” from Così fan tutte, written for Anton Stadler, and not a draft of the same aria as
previously assumed. The fragment was written with the clarinet part in the violin key and with the three
sharps in those of the strings which pick out the A major key. Performances are usually given today with the
basset-horn as the piece is generally identified with the “Rondo of Mr. Mozart with obbligato basset-horn”,
performed on 26 April 1791 at the National Theatre of Prague. De Saint-Foix again defines the piece as “a
sort of sentimental sonata, strange and expressive, with a charming tenderness and sweet sensuality… The
progression seen in the course of this aria, which leads to an acceleration in the initial tempo [indicated in
the opera score as Allegretto lietissimo], is a wonderful depiction of the growing exaltation of the feeling
which overtakes Ferrando and makes him forget the entire game of intrigue”.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Clarinet Quintet K581
In 1789 Mozart returned to Vienna which he had left, under a cloud of artistic despair and personal loneliness,
oppressed by debts and forgotten by the public, for a break in Baden Baden. On his return to the city, almost by a
miracle, he wrote one of the most delightful and emotional pieces in musical history, the Clarinet Quintet K 581. The
piece was dedicated to his friend – and “brother” under the Masonic bonds between them – Anton Stadler, regarded as
the greatest clarinettist of the time and to whom the Trio K 498 and the Concerto K 622 were also dedicated.
The Quintet K 581 is confirmed as a complete masterpiece, demonstrating an extraordinary parity in the dialogue
conducted between the individual instruments and a magnificent fusion of tone. The clarinet becomes the main voice,
emphasising in its significant tonal and dynamic options the delicacy and dimensionality in the linked phrases, the
agility and spontaneity in the following phrases and subsequent virtuoso passages.
In the first movement, an Allegro filled with melodic cues follows the Larghetto enveloped in poetic purity and
immersed in a nocturnal atmosphere of sounds in mute.
The Minuetto is more worldly in character, supported by a certain popular solidity in which the “Tyrolean” rhythms of
the Trio predominate over the few shades of melancholy. The Finale returns to the initial suffusion of joy, playing with
a simple theme and drawing from it in the variations unpredictable ideas (such as the wonderful clarity and tenderness
of the 5th variation).
Mozart’s original manuscript of the quintet was probably owned by Stadler who, for reasons which have never been
fully explained, lost it or was forced to hand it over to a creditor. The version of the work we know is based on old
editions dating back to 1802, published by Andrè in Offenbach and Artaria in Vienna.
Marilisa Lazzari