String Quartet No. 13 "Rosamunde", D. 804, was completed in 1824 by Austrian composer Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828). This is one of his two 'named' late string quartets that are generally considered to be among the best ever composed in the genre. The name "Rosamunde" refers to the use of a theme from his music for the play of the same name. This is not a sunny work, as he was already coming down with syphilis induced ailments at the time, but it is very moving and beautiful. The average playing time is 34 minutes (AllMusic). I have two versions, of which I prefer the one by the Quartetto Italiano on a Philips CD.
