[Quartet] Masterpieces and Popular Pieces for String Quartet
The string quartet drew attention not only from classical music fans but also from a wider audience after being featured in the 2017 TV drama “Quartet.”
Perhaps some of you were captivated by its charm through the show.
A string quartet is a form of chamber ensemble consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello.
Since being established in the late 18th century by Franz Joseph Haydn, it has been cherished as the most refined form of chamber music.
In this article, we introduce masterpieces brimming with the allure of the string quartet.
Please enjoy the elegant and refined resonance of string instruments.
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[Quartet] Masterpieces and Popular Pieces for String Quartet (11–20)
G SongTerry Riley
Terry Riley is an American composer and one of the leading figures of minimal music—music that minimizes motion and repeats patterned figures.
This piece is the first work Riley wrote for the Kronos Quartet.
As the music unfolds, the 16-bar opening theme, which includes the G minor scale, is repeated many times.
With each repetition, the music changes little by little, and before you know it, the theme itself disperses and goes somewhere else.
Listen for the way the theme’s color and shape shift moment by moment!
String Quartet No. 1 in E minor “From My Life,” Fourth MovementBedřich Smetana
This is a string quartet composed by Smetana, widely known for The Moldau from Má vlast, and it carries the subtitle From My Life.
Each of the four movements has its own theme, unfolding like a recollection of the composer’s early life.
The first movement is written under the theme “My youthful longing for art, the Romantic atmosphere,” expressing Smetana’s strong yearning for Prague, having been born in Bohemia.
Notable are the viola’s melody, at once passionate and tinged with anxiety and restlessness, and the violin’s flowing harmonies that seem to soothe this tension.
String Quartet No. 67 in D major, Op. 64 No. 5, Hob. III:63 “The Lark,” II. AndanteFranz Joseph Haydn
Haydn, an Austrian composer who represents the Classical era.
Because he wrote many symphonies and string quartets, he is known as the “Father of the Symphony” and the “Father of the String Quartet.” This piece was composed at the request of Johann Tost, a violinist in the Esterházy court orchestra and also a businessman.
The title “Lark” was given because the melody that appears at the beginning of the first movement sounds like a lark’s song.
The second movement has a calm and warm character, like the cheerfulness of spring.
The Art of Fugue in D minor, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 14J.S.Bach
The Art of Fugue, composed by Bach—known as the “Father of Music.” In the late 1740s, during the final years of his life, publication was being prepared alongside the composition, but the composer’s eyesight deteriorated rapidly, and work on Contrapunctus 14 was halted while still unfinished.
In addition, although it is performed today by various ensembles such as piano, string quartet, and orchestra, the piece leaves many mysteries since no instruments are specified.
It is a work whose appeal lies in Bach’s characteristically rigorous form and its solemn yet pleasing harmonic sonorities.
The Wind in High Places, No. 2: Maclaren SummitJohn Luther Adams
The music of American composer John Luther Adams is influenced by nature, particularly the Alaskan landscapes where he lived from 1978 to 2014.
This piece is inspired by McLaren Summit, the second-highest road in Alaska.
McLaren Summit offers magnificent views of the Alaska Range, the McLaren Glacier, and the McLaren River, as well as wildflowers, ground squirrels, and ptarmigans.
This piece expresses the wind that blows along this high-altitude, nature-rich road.
String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10Claude Debussy
The first movement of the String Quartet begins with a powerful melody in the same rhythm shared by all four players.
It features innovative harmonies unlike anything written before, distinctive rhythmic combinations, and no fixed assignment of who carries the melody or the accompaniment: each instrument accompanies at times and, at others, spins out the principal melody.
These roles are passed around with remarkable rapidity—a technique that became a hallmark of Debussy’s later works.
It’s a piece marked by pervasive tension and a uniquely striking sonority.
[Quartet] Masterpieces and Popular Pieces for String Quartet (21–30)
String Quartet No. 2, Movement 1Alexander Borodin
Known as a masterpiece brimming with lyrical beauty, this string quartet captivates with its sweet, lovestruck melodies and delicate fragility.
Highlights include the theme that begins in the cello and passes to the first violin, as well as the lively interplay among the instruments.
It is also a highly rewarding piece for performers.
Begun in July 1881 and completed by September—a remarkably swift pace—the work overflows with a warm resonance filled with love.
It is an ideal choice for those who wish to savor beautiful melodies and rich expressiveness.