It was the late quartets of Beethoven that inspired the early quartets of Felix Mendelssohn. Though they were generally unfashionable in the years immediately following Beethoven's death, the young Mendelssohn found them intriguing, studying and even quoting from them in his Op. 12 and 13 quartets. For those familiar with Beethoven (and late Beethoven in particular), the resemblance is clear: Classical form combined with Romantic expression in such a way that Beethoven could almost have written them himself. They are remarkably mature works, utterly belying their youthfulness. This Urtext edition contains a set of parts for two violins, viola, and cello (no score), and is edited by Ernst Herttrich. Published by G. Henle Verlag. Difficulty: A5