“Despite the fact that so many of Krommer's String Quartets were treasured by amateurs and professionals alike during his lifetime and long afterward, today, few have even heard of him, and fewer yet have heard his string quartets. Unfortunately, there have been virtually no new editions of these works. However, whoever takes the trouble to get acquainted with them will be amazed at how appealing they are. Mostly written in concertante style, all of the instruments are given solos while the others accompany them. The first violin part, in particular, always has charming passages with clever embellishments. And every violinist can learn something from Krommer, who himself was an excellent violinist. Certainly, many of his quartets deserve to be revived and receive concert performances. Krommer knew how to write for string instruments and was often able to achieve some very brilliant effects.”
—The famous chamber music critic Wilhelm Altmann, writing in his Handbook for String Quartet Players
Op.19 No.2 is the second of a set of three which were composed in the mid-1790s and published by the firm of Mollo in Vienna in 1801. In making our new edition, we consulted the original Mollo edition. The opening Allegro moderato begins in a stately fashion. Sudden changes of dynamics create interesting contrasts. The appealing second subject has a buoyant spirit to it. Next comes a somewhat somber, noble Adagio. which is followed by a Haydn-esque Menuetto. The Finale, Allegro, is exciting and full of forward drive.
Franz Krommer (1759-1831) was born in the town of Kamnitz, then part of the Habsburg Austrian Empire (today Kamenice in the Czech Republic). It had a mixed population of Germans and Czechs, and though baptized František Vincenc Kramář by the time he was 15, Krommer began using the Germanized version of his name for the rest of his life, the name by which he became known to the world. Krommer was one of the most successful composers in Vienna at the turn of the 18th Century. His reputation was attested to by the fact that his works were frequently republished throughout Germany, England, France, Italy, Scandinavia, and even the United States. According to several contemporary sources, he was regarded with Haydn as the leading composer of string quartets and as a serious rival of Beethoven. Krommer was a violinist of considerable ability who came to Vienna around 1785. For the following 10 years, he held appointments at various aristocratic courts in Hungary. He returned to Vienna in 1795, where he remained until his death, holding various positions, including that of Court Composer (Hofmusiker) to the Emperor, Franz I, an enthusiastic quartet player. He was the last composer to hold this august title, and one of his duties was accompanying the Emperor on his various campaigns so that he could relax in the evenings playing quartets. There are more than 300 compositions that were at one time or another published, much of which is chamber music. He wrote more than 70 string quartets, 35 quintets, perhaps as many as 15 string trios, but also several works for winds and strings.