MINETTI QUARTETT II

In his Opus 20 String Quartet, which proved to be his first masterpiece in the form, the god-fearing Joseph Haydn gave thanks to “Almighty God” and “The holy Virgin Mary”. It was fear of Stalin that caused Dmitri Shostakovich to delay publication of his fourth string quartet – like other works – until after the dictator’s death. Having completed the incidental music for “Rosamunde”, Franz Schubert composed his D 804 string quartet to stave off a creative crisis. This proved successful, thanks be to God.