The protagonist of works by Austrian composer Franz Schubert, hailed as the King of Songs, is a lonely, downtrodden personality. In his music, Schubert made his soul sing in verse, fostering bright hopes and projecting inner pain. In 1824, he moved away from the genre of song and immersed himself in instrumental, chamber music. During this year, Schubert composed two outstanding string quartets No. 13 Rosamunde and No. 14 Der Tod und das Mädchen (Death and the Maiden), as well as the Octet, the Sonata Arpeggione and others.

The Quartet No. 13 Rosamunde is named after the themes in the second movement of the opus, which were taken from the incidental music for Helmina von Shézy’s play Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus, written a year earlier. The Quartet’s music sets up a subtle atmosphere – the four movements present contradictory emotions, joy and sadness, rich, dramatic tones. Schubert’s lyrical opus is performed by the Vilnius String Quartet.