String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, D.887 (parts) by Franz Schubert
Urtext edition by Egon Voss. Published by Henle
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was an Austrian composer of the Romantic Era and generally considered one of the greatest composers in the history of Western classical music. Despite his early death at age 31, he was remarkably prolific, leaving behind a vast oeuvre of over 1500 compositions, with over 600 art songs at its center. He left his mark on all genres, including--most consequentially for string players--on chamber music. His individual style grew out of the influences of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven and was characterized by a mastery of melodic writing as well as formal experimentation and significant harmonic innovation.
Schubert's final string quartet, No. 15 in G Major, D.887 (1826) is most far-reaching and complex string quartet, with advanced use of harmony, expansive lyrical development, and structural innovations. Though it is less often heard than it more famous predecessor (the ''Death and the Maiden'' quartet), probably because of its experimental nature, it is considered a standard in the quartet literature and is regarded by some as his greatest quartet. Parts only. Master level, Grade 6.
