String Quartet

Summary

A string quartet is the most prominent and influential chamber music ensemble in Western music. Consisting of four string players, this intimate formation has been considered the "perfect" chamber music combination since the Classical Era, offering both complete harmonic foundation and clear individual voices. The ensemble's rich repertoire spans from the late 18th century to contemporary compositions, establishing it as a cornerstone of classical chamber music.

The string quartet allows for sophisticated musical dialogue between all four voices, with each instrument capable of taking both melodic and accompanying roles. This flexibility enables composers to create complex textures and intricate interplay between parts, while maintaining a homogeneous sound due to the similar timbral qualities of the string instruments.

Many of the most significant composers in classical music have written extensively for string quartet, considering it an ideal medium for their most profound and personal musical expressions. The genre evolved from entertainment music in the Classical Era to become a vehicle for serious artistic statements in the Romantic Era and beyond.

Instrumentation

2 Violins

1 Viola

1 Cello

Notable Works for String Quartet

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No. 19 in C major, K. 465 "Dissonance" (1785)

  • Named for its striking harmonic tensions in the introduction.

• Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in D minor, Op. 76 No. 2 "Quinten" (1797)

  • A masterpiece featuring the famous "fifth" motif throughout its first movement.

• Franz Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor "Death and the Maiden" (1824)

  • Based on his song of the same name, exploring themes of mortality.

• Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 (1826)

  • A profound late work in seven connected movements.

• Robert Schumann: String Quartet No. 3 in A major, Op. 41 No. 3 (1842)

  • Part of a set of three quartets written during his "chamber music year."

• Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80 (1847)

  • Written in memory of his sister Fanny, expressing deep grief.

• Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1 (1873)

  • A work of intense concentration and emotional depth.

• Antonín Dvořák: String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96 "American" (1893)

  • Influenced by American folk music during his stay in the United States.

• Claude Debussy: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893)

  • His only string quartet, combining French impressionism with classical form.

• Arnold Schoenberg: String Quartet No. 2 in F-sharp minor, Op. 10 (1908)

  • Groundbreaking work transitioning from tonality to atonality.

• Alban Berg: Lyric Suite (1926)

  • A deeply personal work incorporating twelve-tone technique with romantic expression.

• Béla Bartók: String Quartet No. 4 (1928)

  • Featuring innovative techniques and influenced by folk music.

• Benjamin Britten: String Quartet No. 2 in C major, Op. 36 (1945)

  • Written to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Purcell's death.

• Elliott Carter: String Quartet No. 1 (1951)

  • A landmark work utilizing metric modulation.

• Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 (1960)

  • Written in memory of victims of fascism and war.

• György Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2 (1968)

  • Exploring new sound possibilities and textural complexity.

• George Crumb: Black Angels (1970)

  • Incorporating extended techniques and electronic effects.

• Henri Dutilleux: Ainsi la nuit (1976)

  • Sophisticated work exploring night-time atmospheres.

• Morton Feldman: String Quartet No. 2 (1983)

  • An epic work lasting approximately six hours.

• Alfred Schnittke: String Quartet No. 3 (1983)

  • Incorporating quotations from other composers within a modern framework.

• Terry Riley: Salome Dances for Peace (1986)

  • A large-scale work influenced by multiple musical traditions.

• Kaija Saariaho: Nymphéa (1987)

  • Incorporating electronic processing with live quartet.

• Steve Reich: Different Trains (1988)

  • Innovative work combining recorded voices with live quartet.

• Helmut Lachenmann: Gran Torso (1988)

  • Pioneering work in musique concrète instrumentale.

• Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 5 (1991)

  • Minimalist work with characteristic repetitive structures.

• Sofia Gubaidulina: String Quartet No. 4 (1993)

  • Exploring spiritual themes through contemporary techniques.

• John Adams: John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994)

  • Playful work incorporating pre-recorded percussion tracks.

• Thomas Adès: Arcadiana (1994)

  • Seven-movement work evoking vanished or vanishing worlds.

• Unsuk Chin: ParaMetaString (1996)

  • Incorporating electronic transformations of quartet sound.

• Wolfgang Rihm: String Quartet No. 10 (1997)

  • Complex work exploring extreme emotional states.

• Per Nørgård: String Quartet No. 8 "Night Descending Like Smoke" (1997)

  • Complex work based on his infinity series.

• Toshio Hosokawa: Silent Flowers (1998)

  • Influenced by Japanese aesthetic concepts.

• Georg Friedrich Haas: String Quartet No. 3 "In iij. Noct" (2001)

  • Performed in complete darkness.

• Beat Furrer: String Quartet No. 3 (2004)

  • Exploring subtle gradations of sound and silence.

• Pascal Dusapin: String Quartet No. 5 (2005)

  • Contemporary French work exploring timbral possibilities.

• Kaija Saariaho: Terra Memoria (2006)

  • Written in memory of departed friends.

• Harrison Birtwistle: The Tree of Strings (2007)

  • Inspired by the landscape of Orkney.

• Olga Neuwirth: In the Realms of the Unreal (2009)

  • Multi-movement work incorporating electronic elements.

• Pascal Dusapin: String Quartet No. 7 "OpenTime" (2009)

  • Exploring concepts of musical time and memory.

• Brian Ferneyhough: String Quartet No. 6 (2010)

  • Complex work pushing technical and notational boundaries.

• Philippe Manoury: Tensio (2010)

  • Incorporating live electronics with traditional quartet.

• Caroline Shaw: Entr'acte (2011)

  • Pulitzer Prize-winning work inspired by classical forms.

• Wolfgang Rihm: String Quartet No. 13 (2011)

  • Late work showing continued evolution of his style.

• Chaya Czernowin: String Quartet (2011)

  • Exploring extreme sonic possibilities of the quartet.

• Rebecca Saunders: Fletch (2012)

  • Exploring detailed timbral and textural possibilities.

• Hans Abrahamsen: String Quartet No. 4 (2012)

  • Delicate work exploring musical time and memory.

• Jörg Widmann: String Quartet No. 5 (2013)

  • Part of a cycle exploring quartet traditions.

• Matthias Pintscher: Study IV for Treatise on the Veil (2013)

  • Inspired by Cy Twombly's artwork.

• Georg Friedrich Haas: String Quartet No. 8 (2014)

  • Exploring microtonality and spectral techniques.

• Julian Anderson: String Quartet No. 2 "300 Weihnachtslieder" (2014)

  • Based on Bach's collection of Christmas songs.

• Liza Lim: The Weaver's Knot (2014)

  • Exploring complex rhythmic and timbral relationships.

Sources

• Stowell, R. (Ed.). (2003). The Cambridge Companion to the String Quartet. Cambridge University Press.

• Griffiths, P. (2011). The String Quartet: A History. Thames & Hudson.

• Winter, R., & Martin, R. (1994). The Beethoven Quartet Companion. University of California Press.

• International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)

• Ransom, J. L. (2010). The Art of String Quartet Playing: Practice, Technique and Interpretation. Simon and Schuster.

• Steinhardt, A. (2000). Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

• Grove Music Online. (2001). String Quartet. Oxford University Press.

• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001). Macmillan Publishers.