Mozart String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515

Classical Music / Mozart String Quintet 

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's string quintets are masterpieces of chamber music. Unlike standard string quartets, these are "viola quintets"—scored for standard string quartet (two violins, viola, cello) plus an extra viola. Mozart composed six completed works in this genre throughout his life.

The String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515 was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Like all of his string quintets, it is a "viola quintet" in that it is scored for string quartet and an extra viola (two violins, two violas and cello).

The work was completed on 19 April 1787, less than a month before the completion of his stormy G Minor Quintet, K. 516. This would not be the last time that a great pair of C major/G minor works of the same form would be published in close proximity and assigned consecutive Köchel numbers. The following year, the 40th (G minor) and 41st (C major) symphonies would be completed within a few weeks of each other.

The work is in standard four movement form, though published with the middle movements in reverse order, the Minuet movement preceding the 'slow' movement:

1. Allegro
2. Menuetto: Allegretto
3. Molto Allegro
4. Andante Allegro 

This quintet inspired Franz Schubert to write his own string quintet in the same key (his scoring involves two cellos rather than two violas as in Mozart's quintet). The opening theme of Schubert's work retained many of the characteristics of Mozart's opening theme. recapitulation).

Video:  MOZART: String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515 - ChamberFest Cleveland (2023). Youtube, uploaded by ChamberFest Cleveland. Accessed July 19, 2026. 

 

Suggested Link:  

The Greatest Recordings EVER! Mozart: String Quintets. YouTube, uploaded by The Ultimate Classical Music Guide by Dave Hurwitz. Accessed July 19, 2026.

From Wikipedia, below is a list of string quartets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart’s six viola quintets span across his career, showcasing his development from a teenager to a mature composer:

String Quintet No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 174 (1773): A youthful and lively four-movement work written when Mozart was just 17, but already showing remarkable maturity. 
String Quintet No. 2 in C minor, K. 406 (1787): An intense arrangement of his own earlier wind serenade, Serenade No. 12 for Winds in C minor, K. 388. 
String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515 (1787): Often considered his crowning achievement in chamber music; a radiant, expansive, and symphonic work. 
String Quintet No. 4 in G minor, K. 516 (1787): Written shortly after K. 515, this is its tragic counterpart, deeply emotional and dramatic. 
String Quintet No. 5 in D major, K. 593 (1790): A late, serene, and contrapuntal work characterized by its supreme elegance. 
String Quintet No. 6 in E-flat major, K. 614 (1791): His final quintet, possessing a warm, pastoral, and joyful character. 

 

Resources:

Mozart String Quintet No. 3 in C major, K. 515. en.wikipedia.org. Accessed July 19, 2026. 

List of string quintets by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. en.wikipedia.org. Accessed July 19, 2026

 

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