Cuarteto Casals - | Mozart - Early String Quartet...

report on Mozart's Early String Quartets (Harmonia Mundi) is a comprehensive recording project that captures the composer's formative years in the genre, specifically works written between 1770 and 1773. Album Overview Release Date: October 27, 2005. Label: Harmonia Mundi (Catalogue No. HMI 987060.62).

The quartet used a matching set of classical-period bows for this recording, acquired through a Borletti-Buitoni Trust award. Critical Reception Reviews for this specific set were polarized:

The 3-CD set includes all 13 of Mozart's "early" quartets (K. 80, K. 155–160, and K. 168–173), along with the three "Salzburg" Divertimenti (K. 136–138). Runtime: Approximately 228 minutes. Performance Style Cuarteto Casals - Mozart - Early String Quartet...

The ensemble adopted a for these teenage works, marked by:

Often called the "Salzburg Symphonies," these are performed with a focus on lightness and agility. Mozart: Early QuartetsCuarteto Casals - Classics Today report on Mozart's Early String Quartets (Harmonia Mundi)

A clear, bright tone with minimal use of vibrato to avoid over-romanticizing the early classical style.

The most significant work in the early set, featuring a complex closing fugue. HMI 987060

Mozart's very first quartet, featuring a prominent Rondeau finale.