Quartettsatz, D 703 (Schubert)

[1][2][3] Schubert began work on his twelfth string quartet in early December 1820, shortly after a "Schubertiade" held at the home of Ignaz von Sonnleithner on the first of the month.

[6] Javier Arrebola speculates that the work (like several others written during the same period) was put aside because it "...did not yet represent the great leap forward he was striving for".

[8] The Quartettsatz received its posthumous premiere on 1 March 1867 in Vienna, with publication of the score, edited by Brahms, following in 1870.

The composition consists of a single sonata form movement marked Allegro assai and typical performances last nine minutes.

[13] The Brentano String Quartet performed the Quartettsatz as part of their Fragments Project in 2012; for this concert series the composition was paired with a work entitled Fra(nz)g-mentation by composer Bruce Adolphe that was based on Schubert's Andante sketches.