Schubert’s prolific output during the thirty-one years of his life included fifteen string quartets, as well as the hundreds of songs on which his reputation as the father of German lieder is based. Although written when he was still a teenager, the three quartets on this recording are remarkable for their technical assurance. Despite Schubert’s indebtedness to Haydn and Mozart, the seeds of an individual voice can be heard in the song-like slow movements and the dramatic outer movements.