Piano Quartet in G minor, K. 478

Mozart's First Piano Quartet (1785) was the first great piano quartet in the standard repertoire, written for the Viennese publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister. Legend holds that it was so demanding for its original amateur audience that Hoffmeister cancelled the projected series after this single work. The opening Allegro in G minor is one of Mozart's most dramatic movements, with thematic ideas of unusual urgency. The Andante brings radiant serenity, and the Rondo finale sparkles with irresistible wit. The balance between the piano and the three strings set a template followed by Brahms and Schumann.