The Quartetto Serioso is the shortest of Beethoven's quartets. It celebrates scarcity, the first movement lasts only four minutes. Of course, the reasons for this peculiar compositional style were sought. Was the rejection of Beethoven's proposal of marriage to Therese Malfatti in May 1810 the trigger? The dedication to Nikolaus Zmeskall of Domanovecz, who had witnessed Beethoven's unhappy love, could be an indication. 

The clarinettist Anton Stadler was a close friend of Mozart. Their nicknames for each other were 'Nátschibinìtschibi' (Stadler) and 'Punkitititi' (Mozart). Many of Mozart's works are inspired by Stadler. One of his late masterpieces, the Clarinet Quintet in A major, was even called the Stadler Quintet.