John Helmich, violin 
Tracy Engman Finkelshteyn, violin  
Rebecca Vieker, viola
George Work, cello

I. Allegro
II. Larghetto
III. Menuetto and Trio
IV. Allegro Assai

Composed in May of 1790, Mozart’s String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat Major was the second of three “Prussian” string quartets dedicated to King Friedrich Wilhelm II, King of Prussia. The King was an amateur cellist, giving Mozart the incentive to put the cello in a prominent role. During this period, Mozart was facing financial distress and was hoping to land a job in Wilhelm II’s court. However, economic hardship became too overwhelming for the composer, forcing him to sell his recent compositions to the music publisher Ataria (to whom he was in debt) instead of dedication to the king. Mozart’s life circumstances notwithstanding, the Prussian string quartets are still excellent displays of his compositional style.  

The Allegro movement is written in sonata form, with the primary theme featuring a descending sixteenth-note motive in the violins. The cello establishes the secondary theme in the dominant key of F Major, an example of Mozart’s efforts to give attention to this instrument. Similarly, the second Larghetto Movement begins with the cello’s upper register executing the central theme before being joined by the violin. The third movement is a Minuet and Trio, with the minuet in B-flat Major and the trio in E-flat Major. The cello is not featured as prominently in this movement, but it does conclude each section of the trio as a solo voice. The last movement is in 6/8 time and passes the melody among the different members of the quartet. 

I. Molto allegro vivace
II. Menuetto. Un poco allegretto
III. Andante espressivo ma con moto
IV. Presto con brio

Written in July of 1838 at the age of 29, Felix Mendelssohn dedicated three string quartets to the Crown Prince of Sweden. Mendelssohn was said to have close connections to the nation because of his Swedish friend and composer, Adolf Fredrik Linbald. The pieces are recognized as the late composers first to express his individual style. Whereas before he had been heavily influenced by the work of Beethoven, the Op. 44 String Quartets strayed away and gave Mendelssohn his own distinct voice in the genre. The quartets were also unique in that they were written in reverse order, with No. 1 as the last to be composed. The trio of pieces first premiered in 1839 and have since become a staple in the string quartet repertoire.

Of all keys a string quartet may perform in, D-Major is the one best suited for the instruments. The piece begins with an epic and spirited melody. Critics have compared this movement to that of an odyssey, as listeners are carried from one “island” to another by rolling rhythmic textures and themes. The following movement strays into a dance-like minuet and is instead more eerily whimsical. Meanwhile, the third movement is rich and slow, with a luscious melody passed between each part. Of all the movements, this one evokes the most sorrowful emotions, with anguished grieving sounds prominent in the first violin. The tone of the presto con brio sharply contrasts this with a much more celebratory melody. It closely resembles that of the beginning and brings the piece full circle to its conclusion.

For more than 20 years, Belin Quartet concerts have been presented to our community at no charge through the generosity of the Belin Family.