Jagd-Quartett ("Hunt" Quartet) / Dissonanzen-Quartett ("Dissonance" Quartet)

Released in 1985 by Deutsche Grammophon, this recording features the Melos Quartett performing two of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's most celebrated string quartets: No. 17 in B-flat major, K. 458, known as the 'Hunt,' and No. 19 in C major, K. 465, famously titled the 'Dissonance.' These works constitute the final two entries in Mozart's cycle of six quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn, composed between 1782 and 1785. The 'Dissonance' quartet, in particular, remains one of the most intellectually daring compositions of the classical era, noted for its harmonically adventurous slow introduction that challenged the sensibilities of eighteenth-century listeners.

The Melos Quartett, a Stuttgart-based ensemble recognized for their technical precision and balanced approach to the classical repertoire, recorded this set during a period when the Deutsche Grammophon label was solidifying its reputation for high-fidelity classical releases. The recording is characterized by the ensemble's characteristic tonal warmth and structural clarity, traits that helped the album achieve critical recognition as a standard interpretation of the era. It reflects the label's commitment to preserving the core chamber music canon with both historical awareness and the nuanced performance practices typical of late twentieth-century German chamber ensembles.