Two String Quartets - Op. 12

Dotzauer’s first attempt at a major form of chamber music comes in 1810, with his Op. 12. This is a couple of quartets for two violins, viola, and violoncello obbligato. One may think these are ordinary string quartets, where the first violin has all the fun and the other three players share the remaining bits, but one would be gravely mistaken. The clue for this is the dedication by Dotzauer to his teacher, Bernhard Romberg. Then we have the word “obbligato” marking the prominence of the cello part over the others.

They are entertaining pieces, about 25-minutes-long each, in four movements, and similar to Haydn in style. These are the first two of Dotzauer’s generous production of string quartets (more than twenty!). The first is in E-flat major, while the second is in G minor, a curious choice for sure.