"As a composer of chamber music Mendelssohn claims greatness almost without qualification. . . . He had a complete mastery of his medium . . . and an intensity of interest in pure music that renders his quartets, in particular, works of integrity in thought and statement." — Grove's
These masterpieces in the chamber music repertoire are works perennially popular with players and listeners. All of them have been recorded and many appear frequently on chamber music programs. They have been reproduced directly from the famous and scholarly Breitkopf & Härtel series, an eminently readable edition, and contain all of Mendelssohn's chamber music for strings, excluding only those pieces with piano.
The following works are included:
Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
Quintet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 18
Quintet No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 87
Quartet No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 12
Quartet No. 2 in A Major, Op. 13
Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 44, No. 1
Quartet No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2
Quartet No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 44, No. 3
Quartet No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80
Four Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 81
The music has been reproduced in a size large enough to be read easily, and there is ample space between staves and in the margins for any notes, harmonic analyses, fingerings or annotations that you may want to record on the score. The edition is practical for almost any use, whether as a study guide, a reference, or just a companion for your greater musical enjoyment.