String Quartets op. 41-Although Schumann s first attempts at composing for this supreme form of chamber music in 1838/39 were only fragments the three String Quartets Op.41 in a minor F major and A major were written inone go in June/July 1842. At the first private performances the audience was enthusiastic and it was Mendelssohn s praise in particular that occasioned Schumann to dedicate the new works to him.The composerwrote to his publisher in an appropriately confident manner: Be assured I have spared no pains in creating something very decent indeed I sometimes think it is my best . As is generally known today Schumann sOpus 41 forms part of the core repertoire for quartet players.