When it came to the genre of the string quartet, Beethoven was a relative latecomer. He was already 28 years old when he obtained the contract for the composition of the Quartets opp. 18 from Prince Lobkowitz, and 30 when he completed them. These are mature works that clearly distinguish themselves in their technical demands from, say, those of Mozart’s quartets, yet on the other hand, they orient themselves musically on Mozartian practice. The A major Quartet K. 464 obviously served as a model