Beethoven published his first six string quartets in 1801 as a set. Although the Opus 18 quartets are based on traditional models, there are innovations in each quartet that point to Beethoven's unique style and future compositional path.
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BEETHOVEN AND MOZART AT THEIR ONE AND ONLY MEETING
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String Quartet 5 was Beethoven's successful attempt to compose in the style of Mozart, whose A Major Quartet (#18, K464), Beethoven admired greatly. Several similarities between the two quartets are apparent, including the placement of the minuet as the second movement rather than the more traditional third movement slot.
