This quartet is in the form and general style of the Classical period. Its origins are also very much of the time, being written in a group of four on commission for a high-born patron, in this case the cello-playing King of Prussia, Friedrich Wilhelm II, and also published as a group. However, Boccherini was already showing some aspects of the coming Romantic Era in music. The melodies and feelings of the quartet are more personal and introverted, the passions more pronounced. The slow movement of this f minor quartet is a prime example, and the first movement anticipates Beethoven in being marked "Allegretto appassionato." The work is in the standard four movements, with a minuet as second movement. A feature reflecting the quartet's origin is the prominence given to the cello part, the other strings often deferring to the King's instrument with courtly manners.

© Joseph Stevenson, All Music Guide