Background
Although any combination of quatern string instruments potty literally exist as known as the "string quartet",Within practice the term refers to a class action consisting of deuce violins (the "first" & "second" fiddle), 1 viola and one cello. Should the composer produce music for quaternary more string instruments — for even instance,3 fiddle & bass, or fiddle, viola, violoncello & guitar — a instrumentation is indicated specifically. A standard string quartette is widely seen when one of a first forms inside chamber music, with virtually all major composers, from either a late 18th century onwards, writing string quartets.

The piece of music for quaternity players of stringed instruments can be in any form, however in case these are only the String quartette (by using or even forswearing the subtitle) these are normally inside little joe movements, by having the big-shell structure similar to it of the symphony. the outer movements come often convenient, the inner movements around definitive quartet form come a slow movement & a dance movement of a bit of sort (e.g., minuet, scherzo, furiant), inside either choose.

Numerous more chamber groups may be seen when modifications of a string quartette, like the piano quintet, which is a string quartette by using an added piano; the string quintet, which is a string quartette by owning an additional viola or even violoncello; a string trio, which is a string quartette sustaining single of these fiddle; & a piano quartet, the string quartette by using one of a fiddle replaced by a piano.

History
A form 1st come to exist as utilized fallowing a middle of the 18th century. Joseph Haydn's first works for string quartette st& 5 movements and resemble a divertimento (a title which it carried inside a few editions) or even serenade, but a piece of music Nina from carolina quartets of 1769–70 come in the form which was to get standard each for Haydn & for more composers: iv movements, the convenient movement, the slow movement, the minuet & trio & the convenient finale. Because his lesson helped codify the form that originated in the Churrigueresque suite, Haydn is often known as "the father of the string quartet." Haydn now and agaaround played his quartets in social occasions in an ad libitum quartet ensemble of which Mozart was also the member.

Ever since Haydn's day, the string quartette has been prestigious, considered a confessedly line 1 text of the definitive composer's art. This could symptom from either a fact that a palette of healthy is further restricted than using orchestral music, forcing a music to could have further in its have like than relying in tonal color even; or from either the inherently contrapuntal tendency in music written for quadruplet equal instruments.

Quartet composition flourished in the Classical era, with two Mozart and Beethoven writing famous series of quartets to placed alongside Haydn's. The loosening (but simply rebuff) in the pace of quartet composition occurred in the 19th century; on this button, the curious phenomenon was seen in the composers world health organization wrote only 1 quartet, mayhap to show that it can fully command this sacred genre. Using a onset of a Modern era of classical music, a quartet returned to fully popularity among composers, when the extensive list in the image below document.

Popular String Quartets
A select few of a virtually all popular or even widely acclaimed works for string quartette written between a 18th century & the Eighties, include: Franz Joseph Haydn composed roughly 68 string quartette, of which a late Erdody Quartets, Op. 76 come his virtually all popular. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote 23 string quartette, of which a vi he dedicated to Haydn (K. 387, 421, 428, 458, 464, 465, Opus 10) come typically considered to become a pinnacle of the definitive quartet form. String Quartet There are no. Xix around Scale of c major ("Dissonance"), K. 465 is however surprising for its nonmusical opening. All xvi Quartets of Ludwig von Beethoven are highly acclaimed. A number 1 six (Op. Xviii) come thought to demonstrate his amount mastery of the authoritative string quartette equally developed by Haydn & Mozart. A next threesome, or even the Razumovsky Quartets are extremely popular even today, as they greatly expanded the form and incorporated a new degree of emotional sensitivity and drama. The Late Beethoven String Quartets, which includes his last six quartets and the Große Fuge are among the composers very last works, having been written after the Ninth Symphony, the Missa Solemnis and the Diabelli Variations. Though these works come widely considered to exist as among a greatest musical compositions ever written, though their proportional intellecutal complexness & their apparent rejection of the romanticist pathos which pervades Beethoven's middle time two assure that it remain well less popular than a Razumovsky. Franz Schubert's String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor "Death and the Maiden". Besides his String Quartet No. 13 in A Minor "Rosamunde" and his final String Quartet No. 15 in G Major The 6 String quartette of Felix Mendelssohn Bedrich Smetana's String Quartet No. 1 in E Minor "From my Life" All tierce quartets by Johannes Brahms Antonin Dvorak's "American" String Quartet No. 12 in F Major Peter Tchaikovsky's String Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11, especially the second movement "Andante cantabile." Alexander Borodin's String Quartet No. 2 in D Major, especially the third movement "Notturno." Claude Debussy's String Quartet in G Minor, op. 10 The quatern String quartette by Arnold Schoenberg Maurice Ravel's String Quartet in F Major Leos Janacek's String Quartet No. 1 "Kreutzer", inspired by Tolstoy's The Kreutzer Sonata, which in turn was inspired by Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. Nina from carolina, a "Kreutzer Sonata." Too his String Quartet No. 2 "Intimate Pages" Frank Bridge's String Quartet No. 3 The Six String quartette by Bela Bartok Alban Berg's Lyric Suite, originally composed for string quartet Bohuslav Martinu's Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra The Fifteen String quartette of Dmitri Shostakovich Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time Elliott Carter has written six String Quartets Toru Takemitsu's Quartet No. 1 for Strings "A Way a Lone'

List of string quartet composers

Born before 1800
Giovanni Battista Sammartini (ca. 1700–1775): wrote several quartets though as with many early works for the medium some of these could be played equally by a small string orchestra. Christian Cannabich (1731–1798): six string quartets opus 5 (about 1780). Joseph Haydn (1732–1809): wrote sixty-eight string quartets (some of which he called Divertimenti), the last incomplete, plus Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlösers am Kreuze (The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross), a sequence of eight slow movements plus a brief, rapid, finale (originally written for orchestra, but probably better known in its version for string quartet). List of string quartets by Joseph Haydn François Joseph Gossec (1734–1829): twelve string quartets: Op.14 (1770) and Op.15 (1772) [http://www.mdt.co.uk/MDTSite/product//ALPHA025.htm] Johann Baptist Vanhal (1739–1813): over seventy string quartets. ([http://haydn.dk/mhc_vanhal.php]) Roman Hofstetter (1742–1815): an Austrian monk and composer, now supposed to have composed the six string quartets known as Haydn's opus 3, including the well-known 'Serenade Quartet'. Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805): A prolific composer in most chamber music genres, Boccherini wrote ninety-one string quartets — he also wrote many string quintets. List of string quartets by Luigi Boccherini Giuseppe Cambini (1746–1825): many - about 135 - ''quartets d'airs variés'' ([http://www.lexnet.dk/quartets/c-quarte.htm]) (many exist also in versions with winds. Alfred Einstein suggests that Mozart's fourth flute quartet, in his opinion a parody work, may have been in part a comment on their popularity.) Bartholomeo Campagnola (1751–1827): wrote six string quartets. Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754–1812): fifty string quartets (plus seven for vn, 2va, vc) (source: Grove online). Giovanni Battista Viotti (1755–1824): seventeen string quartets. Franz Grill (1756?–1792): nine string quartets. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): wrote twenty-three string quartets, including the six so-called Haydn Quartets (1782–85), generally reckoned to be his best. Joseph Martin Kraus (1756–1792): wrote alltogether 16 string quartets (6 Goetingen quartets are lost). See also his Flute quintet in D-major. Alessandro Rolla (1757–1841): ten string quartets: 3 as Op.2, 3 as Op.5 and four others (source: Grove). Luigi Cherubini (1760–1842): wrote six string quartets (1814–1837). Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763–1850): (aka Vojtěch Matyáš Jírovec) friend of Mozart, wrote at least forty-two string quartets (Grove), possibly more than fifty (Hyperion CD notes). Samuel Wesley (1766–1837): at least one quartet (in Eâ™­, written around 1810. [http://www.musicweb-international.com/Redcliffe/wesley.htm]) Andreas Romberg (1767–1821): wrote six string quartets. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827): wrote sixteen quartets widely regarded as among the finest quartets by any composer. Johan Hoffmann (1770–1815): two quartets (in D major and F major). Peter Hänsel (1770–1831) : wrote at least ten quartets. ([http://www.lexnet.dk/quartets/h-quarte.htm], this link also for Hoffmann). Anton Reicha (1770–1836): twenty-three string quartets, largely unknown, unperformed and unrecorded in the past century but important to the history of the string quartet. [http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/articles/reicha/quartets/index.html 1] Antal György Csermák (c.1774–1822): wrote a quartet Die drohende Gefahr. Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837): wrote three string quartets, Op.30, No 1 in C major; Op.30 No 2 in G major and Op.30 No 3 in Eâ™­ major (all ca.1808). Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840): three string quartets. Georges Onslow (1784–1853): thirty-six quartets written between 1810 and 1845. Louis Spohr (1784–1859): known as Ludwig in his native Germany, Spohr wrote thirty-six string quartets and four double quartets (for two string quartets). Anselm Hüttenbrenner (1794–1868): wrote two string quartets (E major 1816, C minor 1847) Franz Berwald (1796–1868): Swedish composer, wrote three string quartets, No 1 in G minor (1818), No 2 in A minor (1849), and No 3 in Eâ™­ major (1849). Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848): Much better known for his operas, Donizetti also wrote eighteen string quartets, the first sixteen between 1817 and 1821 (mostly 'scholastic works', though the fifth is his most performed), the seventeenth in 1825 and the last in 1836. Franz Schubert (1797–1828): traditionally reckoned to have written fifteen string quartets. The Death and the Maiden and Rosamunde quartets are particularly well known.

Born 1801–1850
Franz Lachner (1803–1890): at least six quartets (no. 1 op. 75 in B minor, no. 2 op. 76 in A major, no. 4 op. 120 in D minor, no. 5 op. 169 in G major, no. 6 op. 173 in E minor) Mikhail Glinka (1804–1857): After attempting to compose a quartet in 1824 (a work that remained incomplete), Glinka wrote his only finished string quartet in 1830. While this piece is now seldom performed, it and its incomplete predecessor are notable as among the first attempts by a native Russian composer to work in this genre. String Quartet in F major (1830) Johan Peter Emilius Hartmann (1805–1890): three string quartets ([http://www.lexnet.dk/quartets/h-quarte.htm]) Fanny Mendelssohn (1805–1847): A string quartet in E-flat (1834) Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga (1806–1826): Early 19th century Spanish composer. Wrote three brilliant quartets (ca.1824) before his abrupt death at age 19: No 1 in D minor; No 2 in A major; No 3 in E-flat major Ignaz Lachner (1807–1895): wrote eight quartets ([http://www.recordsinternational.com/RICatalogFeb98.html]- op. 43 in F, op. 54 in C, op. 74 in A, op. 104 in G, op. 105 in A minor, op. 106 in C for 3 violins and viola, op. 107 in G for four violins, in Bâ™­ op. posth. ) Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847): wrote six numbered string quartets: op. 12 (1829), op. 13 (1827), op. 44 (three quartets, 1838), and op. 80 (1847); an early unnumbered string quartet in E-flat major (1823); Four Pieces ("Andante", "Scherzo", "Capriccio", "Fugue") for string quartet, op. 81 (1847); a set of 15 fugues for string quartet, written when Mendelssohn was twelve (!); and another fugue (in E-flat major) for string quartet, written at age eighteen. Mendelssohn's early quartet music shows a remarkable mastery of (and dependence upon) the formal procedures of Beethoven's late quartets, but with a highly original transformation of their expressive significance. Norbert Burgmüller (1810–1836): four elegant string quartets: op. 4 in D minor, op. 7 in D minor, op. 9 in A flat major, and op. 14 in A minor. Robert Schumann (1810–1856): wrote three string quartets (opus number 41), not among his better known works Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901): one string quartet, in E minor (1873) Robert Volkmann (1815–1883): six string quartets Niels Wilhelm Gade (1817–1890) : one published quartet (D major, opus 63) and suppressed quartets in F major, F minor and E minor StanisÅ‚aw Moniuszko (1819–1872) : two string quartets (D minor, F major) Henri Vieuxtemps (1820–1881): three string quartets (in E minor opus 44, in C major opus 51, in B-flat opus 52 — the latter two published posthumously) Friedrich Kiel (1821–1885): two string quartets (opus 53, in A minor and E-flat) and waltzes op. 78 Emilie Mayer (1821–1883): a string quartet opus 14 in G minor César Franck (1822–1890): wrote one string quartet (1889) Joachim Raff (1822–1882): wrote eight string quartets (1855 to 1876) Anton Bruckner (1824–1896): wrote one string quartet (1862) Carl Reinecke (1824–1910): wrote four string quartets (opus 16 in E-flat in 1842, opus 30 in F around 1851, opus 132 in C around 1874, opus 211 in D) BedÅ™ich Smetana (1824–1884): two string quartets, No 1 in E minor From my Life; and No 2 in D minor, with the first being the better known Woldemar Bargiel (1828–1897): at least two quartets (Op. 15b in A, Op. 47 in D) Anton Rubinstein (1829–1894): ten string quartets spread throughout his life Karl Goldmark (1830–1915): Goldmark's only string quartet was his "breakthrough" work, his first composition to receive very positive reviews in contemporary Viennese musical journals. Long neglected, it was recorded several times in the 1990's as part of a general revival of interest in Goldmark's chamber music. String Quartet in B-flat major, op. 8 (1860) Alexander Borodin (1833–1887): two string quartets: No. 1 in A (1879) and No. 2 in D (1881), of which the second is the better known, and whose second Scherzo and Notturno third movement have been "borrowed" for musicals (Kismet) Johannes Brahms (1833–1897): wrote three string quartets, the first two in 1879 and the final one in 1881 Felix Draeseke (1835–1913): wrote three string quartets between 1880 and 1895 Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921): two string quartets: op.112 (1889) and op.153 (1918) Joseph Wieniawski (1837–1912): at least one quartet, in A minor opus 32 Max Bruch (1838–1920): two string quartets, from his student days or a little after, op.9 in C minor (1858/9) and op.10 in E major (1860) Friedrich Gernsheim (1839–1916): five string quartets (#1 in C minor about 1872–#5 in A major about 1911) Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901): two string quartets, in C minor op. 89 and F major op. 147 Hermann Goetz (1840–1876): one string quartet in B-flat (1865-66) Johan Svendsen (1840–1911): one string quartet, his op. 1 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893): three string quartets: No. 1 in D, op.11 (1871); No. 2 in F, op.22 (1873); and No. 3 in E-flat minor, op.30 (1876), of which the first is the best-known, especially the Andante cantabile second movemment which has been recorded many times with full orchestra Elfrida Andrée (1841–1929): wrote one string quartet in D minor ([http://www.camerata.art.pl/repertuar.en.html]) and another in A major (published in 2000) Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904): wrote fourteen string quartets, with number twelve, the American, the best known Giovanni Sgambati (1841–1914): wrote a string quartet in D-flat major, his op. 17 (1882) Ján Levoslav Bella (1843–1936): wrote three string quartets, in E minor (1871), C minor (1880) and B-flat minor (1887) Edvard Grieg (1843–1907): wrote two string quartets, the second being unfinished Heinrich von Herzogenberg (1843–1900): wrote five string quartets (1876–1890) Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844–1908) Better known for his orchestral suites, he also wrote three complete string quartets, two single movements and three other pieces for string quartet Gabriel Fauré (1845–1924): one string quartet, in E minor, op.121 (1924) Robert Fuchs (1847–1927): four string quartets: No 1 in E, op.58 (1895); No 2 in A minor, op.62 (1899); No 3 in C, op.71 (1903); No 4 in A, op.106 (1916) August Friedrich Martin Klughardt (1847–1902): two string quartets (in F, opus 42 and in D, opus 61) Hubert Parry (1848–1918): three string quartets ZdenÄ›k Fibich (1850–1900): wrote two string quartets (A major, 1874, G major, 1878) and a set of variations for quartet (B-flat, 1883) according to Orfeo CD label Antonio Scontrino (1850–1922): wrote four string quartets (A minor, G minor, F major, C major) and a movement for string quartet Alexander Taneyev (1850–1918): three string quartets: No 1 in G major, op.25; No 2 in C major op.28; and No 3 in A major, op.30 (source: Olympia CD notes)

Born 1851–1900
Vincent D'Indy (1851–1931): wrote three string quartets Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924): wrote eight string quartets (1891–1919) LeoÅ¡ JanáÄ?ek (1854–1928): wrote two string quartets, known as The Kreutzer Sonata and Intimate Letters Ernest Chausson (1855–1899): wrote one string quartet in three movements; the third movement was completed by Vincent D'Indy after Chausson's death in 1899 Christian Sinding (1856–1915): wrote a string quartet, his opus 70 Sergei Ivanovich Taneyev (1856–1915): nine complete string quartets, two partial (source: Grove Music Online) List of string quartets by Sergei Taneyev Edward Elgar (1857–1934): one string quartet in E minor, Op.83 (1918) Ethel Smyth (1858–1944): one published string quartet, in E minor (1902-1912) and one unpublished, dating from her student days in Leipzig, in C minor Emil von Rezniček (1860–1945): four string quartets, including No 1 in C♯ minor (1921), also in D minor ([http://www.hmt-leipzig.de/website/deu/aktuell/veranstaltungen/2002/okt.htm]; pub. Bimbach, 1923, Berlin) and B♭ major (pub. Bimbach, 1932), quartet in C minor (published by E.W. Fritzsch, Leipzig, 1883). Hugo Wolf (1860–1903): wrote one string quartet (1884) and a more famous Italian Serenade for string quartet (1892); also, an Intermezzo Charles Martin Loeffler (1861–1935): one string quartet, in A minor (1889) Claude Debussy (1862–1918): one string quartet, in G minor, Op.10 (1893) Frederick Delius (1862–1934): wrote three string quartets (1888, 1893 and 1916) Felix Weingartner (1863–1942): four string quartets (in D minor op. 24, F minor op. 26, F op. 34 and D op. 62, pub. 1899, 1900, 1903 and 1918) Eugen d'Albert (1864–1932): two string quartets (in A minor op. 7 and E♭ op. 11, 1887 and 1893) Alexander Gretchaninov (1864–1956): four string quartets: No 1 in G major, Op. 2 (1894); No 2 in D minor, Op.70 (1913); No 3 in C minor, Op.75 (1915); No 4 in F major, Op.124 (1929) Alberto Nepomuceno (1864–1920): wrote three string quartets Joseph Guy Ropartz (1864–1955): six quartets (1893–1951) Richard Strauss (1864–1949): wrote one string quartet Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936): wrote seven string quartets, and numerous other compositions for string quartet (the Five Pieces of 1879–1881, the Five Novelettes Op.15, the Finale of the B-la-F Quartet and the first movement "Carol-singers" of the Name-day Quartet, the Suite Op.35, the Two Pieces of 1902, and the "Lament for Belayev" Op.105). The Third Quartet (1888) is often nicknamed the "Slav Quartet", while the Seventh Quartet (1930) is subtitled "Hommage to the Past". Gustav Jenner (1865–1920): wrote three string quartets in F major, G major and F (1907, 1910 and 1911 — [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2002/Sept02/Jenner_quartets.htm]) Albéric Magnard (1865–1914): wrote one string quartet (1903) Carl Nielsen (1865–1931): wrote four published string quartets, also an early quartet and quartet movements Jean Sibelius (1865–1957): wrote three youthful quartets (1885, 1889 and 1890) and his much better known quartet "Voces Intimae" (1909) Ferruccio Busoni (1866–1924): two string quartets, Op 19 in C minor (1884) and Op 26 in D minor (1887) Amy Beach (1867–1944): wrote one quartet, String Quartet in One Movement, Op.89 (1921) Charles Koechlin (1867–1950): three string quartets, in D op. 51 (1911-13), op. 57 (1911-16), op. 72 in D (1917-21) Max von Schillings (1868–1933): string quartet in E minor (about 1887) Hans Pfitzner (1869–1949): wrote four string quartets (in D minor without opus number- 1876?, D major opus 13 1903, C♯ minor opus 36 from 1925 - later arranged into a symphony, and C minor opus 50, 1942) Alfred Hill (1870–1960): Australian composer, wrote seventeen string quartets. VítÄ›zslav Novák (1870–1949): three quartets (1899–1938) Louis Vierne (1870–1937): One string quartet (1894) Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871–1927): Swedish composer, wrote six string quartets Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871–1942) four string quartets and two movements for string quartet: No.1 in A major, Op.4 (1896); No.2, Op.15 (1913-15); No.3, Op.19 (1924); No.4 (Suite), Op.25 (1936); and two movements for string quartet (1927) Paul Juon (1872–1940): four string quartets (a youthful opus five and three acknowledged quartets op. 11 in B minor, op. 29 in A minor and op. 67 in C) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958): two string quartets: No 1 in G minor (1908, rev. 1921) and No 2 in A minor (1942/3) Max Reger (1873–1916): wrote six string quartets (including an early posthumously-published work with an optional part for double bass) Franz Schmidt (1874–1939): quartet 1 in A (1925), quartet 2 in G (1929) Charles Ives (1874–1954): wrote two string quartets (1896 and 1913), the first entitled "From either a Salvation Army" Arnold Schoenberg (1874–1951): wrote four numbered string quartets, the second of which includes a part for soprano. Also composed an early, unnumbered, string quartet Josef Suk (1874–1935): two string quartets — in B♭, op. 11 from 1896, and op. 31 in one movement from 1911, tonal but from g -> D♭. Also the Meditation on the Old Czech Chorale "St. Wenceslas", op. 35a, 1914. Franco Alfano (1875–1954): wrote three string quartets Fritz Kreisler (1875–1962): wrote a string quartet in A minor (1919) Erkki Melartin (1875–1937): wrote four quartets, in E minor (1896), G minor (1900), E♭ major (1902) and in F (1910) ([http://www.fimic.fi/fimic/fimic.nsf/0/6974ee061c4ad603c2256e6700454bcf?OpenDocument]) Maurice Ravel (1875–1937): one string quartet, in F major (1903) Erno Dohnányi (1877–1960): wrote three string quartets (1899, 1906, 1926) Joseph Holbrooke (1878–1958): wrote two string quartets (1905, 1915) Frank Bridge (1879–1941): five string quartets: B♭ (1901); No 1 in E minor ('Bologna') (1906); No 2 in G minor (1915); No 3 (1926); No 4 (1937), plus a host of other, shorter pieces Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936): two string quartets: No 1 in D major (1907) and "Quartetto Dorico" (1924) Ernest Bloch (1880–1959): wrote five string quartets Ermend Bonnal (1880–1944): two string quartets (1927 and 1934) [http://www.bonnal.org/html/musique_chambre.html] Ildebrando Pizzetti (1880–1968): two string quartets in A major (1906) and D major (1932-3) Béla Bartók (1881–1945): wrote six string quartets widely regarded as being the finest quartets of the first half of the 20th century George Enescu (1881–1955): wrote two string quartets (no. 1 in E♭ and no. 2 in G, op. 22 nos. 1 and 2, 1916–1920 and 1951) Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881–1950): wrote thirteen (1907 – 1949) Nikolai Andreyevich Roslavets (1881–1944): wrote five string quartets (1913, 1915, 1920, 1929-31, 1942. [http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/roslavetz.htm]). Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967): wrote two string quartets (1908 and 1917) Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882–1973): wrote eight string quartets (1920–1964) Artur Schnabel (1882–1951): wrote five string quartets (1918–1940. [http://www.peermusic-classical.de/schnabel3.htm]) Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971): Three Pieces for String Quartet (1914); Concertino (1920); Double Canon for String Quartet (1959) Karol Szymanowski (1882–1937): two string quartets, No 1, Op.37 in C major (1917) and No 2, Op.56 (1927) Joaquín Turina (1882–1949): early quartet op. 4 (1911) and a later work for string quartet, "La Oración del Torero" (1925) Arnold Bax (1883–1953): three string quartets: No 1 in G major (1918), No 2 in E minor and No 3 in F major (1936) Anton Webern (1883–1945): his String Quartet is composed using the twelve tone technique. His Five Movements, Op.5 (1909) and Six Bagatelles, Op.9 (1911-13) are also significant in SQ literature. Plus, a string quartet, a slow movement and a rondo from 1905. Alban Berg (1885–1935) String Quartet, Op. 3 (1910) Lyric Suite (serial,1926) for string quartet, a work which influenced Bartók and many others Egon Joseph Wellesz (1885–1974): wrote nine string quartets, #1 'in five movements' op. 14 (1911–12) through #9 op. 97 (1966) and op. 103 Music for String Quartet Othmar Schoeck (1886–1957): wrote two string quartets (opp. 23, 1913, and 37, 1923) and a movement for string quartet (1908). Kurt Atterberg (1887–1974): three string quartets, only one, no. 2 in b minor, recorded Ernst Toch (1887–1964): 14 string quartets, the first five now lost Fartein Valen (1887–1952): wrote two string quartets Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959): wrote seventeen string quartets between 1915 and 1957 Matthijs Vermeulen (1888–1967): wrote one string quartet (1960–61) Bohuslav Martinů (1890–1959): wrote seven string quartets Arthur Bliss (1891–1975): four string quartets: No 1 in A major (1914); No 2 (1923); No 3 in B♭ (1941); No 4 (1950) Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953): wrote two string quartets (1930 and 1941) Arthur Honegger (1892–1955): wrote three string quartets, in C minor (1917), D major (1936), and E major (1937) Darius Milhaud (1892–1974): wrote eighteen, the fourteenth and fifteenth of which may be played as an octet Hilding Rosenberg (1892–1985): wrote twelve (#1, 1920 revised 1955 to #12, 1957) Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983): wrote one quartet (1917-19) Alois Hába (1893–1973): wrote sixteen quartets, empolying various microtonal systems (e.g. No.11 uses a sixth-tone system; No.12, quarter-tone; No.16, fifth-tone) Paul Dessau (1894–1979): seven string quartets (#1 before 1943 and published 1969?, #2 in 1942/43, #3 in 1943–46, #4 Barbaraquartett or "99 Blocks for Barbara" ([http://www.schott-music.com/shop/products/show,137823.html]), #5 Quartettino (Felsenstein-Quartett) in 1955, #6 Sieben Sätze für Streichquartett in 1974, #7 in 1975. Also a string quartet movement in 1957.) Willem Pijper (1894–1947): five string quartets (1914, 1920, 1923, 1928, 1946) Walter Piston (1894–1976): wrote five string quartets (from 1933 to 1962) Paul Hindemith (1895–1963): a violist, wrote seven string quartets Dane Rudhyar (1895–1985): Crisis and Overcoming (1978), Advent (1976) Roberto Gerhard (1896–1970): two string quartets (1950–5, 1960–2 [http://www.metierrecords.co.uk/text/32.htm]. Three earlier quartets at least are lost.) Howard Hanson (1896–1981): one string quartet in one movement, his opus 23 (1923) Roger Sessions (1896–1985): two string quartets (1938, 1951,) Canons to the memory of Stravinsky (1971) Virgil Thomson (1896–1989): wrote two string quartets (1931 and 1932) Henry Cowell (1897–1965): wrote four John Fernström (1897–1961): wrote eight Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897–1957): perhaps better known for his movie scores, his formal works include three string quartets, Op.16 in A (1923), Op.26 in E♭ (1933), Op.34 in D (1945) Quincy Porter (1897–1966): wrote nine (#1, 1923–#9, 1953.) Francisco Mignone (1897–1986): wrote two, both in 1957 Alexandre Tansman (1897–1986): wrote nine (one lost, replaced by Triptych) ([http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/composer/tansman.html] for most of that, Fanfare review of a recording for the rest) Hanns Eisler (1898–1962): wrote one string quartet, 1937 ([http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2003/Oct03/Eisler_%20Zemlinsky_cookson.htm]) George Gershwin (1898–1937): wrote one piece for string quartet, a lullaby, 1919 or 1920 Viktor Ullmann (1898–1944): three string quartets of which two are lost. Hans Krása (1899–1944): one quartet (1921) Jón Leifs (1899–1968): Icelandic composer, 3 string quartets: No 1 'Mors et vita', op.21, (1939); No 2 'Vita et mors', op.36, (1948–51); No 3 'El Greco', op.64, (1965) (source: Grove) Silvestre Revueltas (1899–1940): wrote four quartets Randall Thompson (1899–1984): wrote two quartets, in D minor (about 1941- possibly earlier, see Library of Congress listing?) and G major (1967) George Antheil (1900–1959): wrote three quartets (1925, 1927, 1948), plus two smaller collections Aaron Copland (1900–1990): wrote four pieces for string quartet (1921, unpublished; 1923, 1923, 1928) Ernst Krenek (1900–1991): wrote eight Alexander Mosolov (1900–1973): probably two quartets (1926, 1943)

Born 1901–1950
Hans Erich Apostel (1901–1972): wrote two quartets (1935, 1956) Ruth Crawford-Seeger (1901–1953): String Quartet (1931) Edmund Rubbra (1901–1986): wrote four string quartets (no. 1 in F minor op. 35, 1933 revised 1946; no. 2 in Eâ™­ op. 73, 1951; no. 3 op. 112, 1963; no. 4 op. 150, 1977; dates from the notes to the Sterling Quartet cycle on Conifer) Vissarion Shebalin (1902–1963): wrote nine quartets (1923–1963) [http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/shebalin.htm] William Walton (1902–1983): wrote two string quartets (1922 and 1947) Stefan Wolpe (1902–1972): String Quartet (1968–1969) Günter Raphael(1903–1960): wrote six quartets (1924–1954) Dmitri Borisovich Kabalevsky (1904–1987): wrote two string quartets (1928 and 1945) Alan Rawsthorne (1905–1971): four quartets (1935–1965) Giacinto Scelsi (1905–1988): wrote five (1944, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1984) Michael Tippett (1905–1998): wrote five numbered string quartets plus two unnumbered youthful works Eduard Tubin (1905–1982): wrote one string quartet Klaus Egge (1906–1979): wrote several Ross Lee Finney (1906–1997): wrote eight (no. 1 in F minor (1935) to no. 8 (1960)) Benjamin Frankel (1906–1973): wrote five (1944–1965) Elisabeth Lutyens (1906–1984): wrote 13 Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975): wrote fifteen string quartets, often seen as being as significant works as his fifteen symphonies, but more "private" Camargo Guarnieri (1907–1993): two string quartets (1932, 1944) Elizabeth Maconchy (1907–1994): thirteen quartets Miklós Rózsa (1907–1995): best known for his film scores, Rózsa also composed more formal music including two string quartets, No 1, Op.22 (1950) and No 2, Op.38 (1981) Elliott Carter (born 1908): wrote five string quartets in the second half of the 20th century; also, Elegy (1948) and Fragments 1 & 2 (1994; 1999); the second quartet won the Pulitzer Prize in music, 1960; the third, in 1973 Kurt Hessenberg (1908–1994): eight string quartets (1934–1987) ([http://www.thiasos.de/Komp/hessenbergd.html#Werkverzeichnis]) Grażyna Bacewicz (1909–1969): seven string quartets, the first two only recently published and recorded (the others from 1947 to 1965) Vagn Holmboe (1909–1996): twenty mature string quartets from 1949 to 1985 (several discarded early works, one last Quartetto sereno completed by Per NørgÃ¥rd) Samuel Barber (1910–1981): wrote the String Quartet No. 1 in B minor, Op. 11 (1936), from which the Adagio for Strings was reorchestrated; the String Quartet No.2, Op. 27 (1948); Serenade for string quartet, Op.1 (1929), arranged for string orchestra in 1944; Dover Beach, for baritone (or mezzo-soprano) & string quartet, Op. 3; and a single quartet movement (1949) for a quartet whose other movements were never written Evgeny Golubev (1910–1988): wrote 24 string quartets (1931 – 1986) William Schuman (1910–1992): wrote five string quartets (1936–1950) Bernard Herrmann (1911–1975): best known as a film composer (Citizen Kane, Psycho, Taxi Driver, etc.), Echoes was his only string quartet (1966) John Cage (1912–1992): String Quartet in Four Parts (1950), Thirty Pieces for String Quartet (1983), Music for Four for String Quartet (1987–1988), Four (1989) Conlon Nancarrow (1912–1997): wrote three string quartets (1945, ca. 1948, 1987), second incomplete Benjamin Britten (1913–1976): wrote three numbered string quartets (1941, 1945 and 1975) plus two early unnumbered ones (1928 and 1931) and a number of other works for string quartet (such as the three Divertimenti, 1933) Tikhon Khrennikov (born 1913): one quartet, his opus 33 (1988) Witold Lutosławski (1913–1994): wrote one string quartet (1964) David Diamond (1915–2005): wrote ten string quartets, from 1940 to 1974 George Perle (born 1915): wrote seven, of which five withdrawn Vincent Persichetti (1915–1987): wrote four string quartets (1939, 1944, 1959, 1972) Milton Babbitt (born 1916) wrote five abstract, densely serialistic quartets in the mid-20th century, and a sixth premiered in 2002 Henri Dutilleux (born 1916): wrote one quartet, Ainsi la nuit (1976) Einar Englund (1916–1999): wrote a quartet in 1985 Alberto Ginastera (1916–1983): four string quartets, 1948 to 1974, the last with baritone to a text from Beethoven's Heiligenstadt Testament Lou Harrison (1917–2003): String Quartet Set (1979) Yun I-sang (1917–1995): wrote six string quartets (#1 before 1956, #2 withdrawn, #3 in 1959, revised in 1961, #4 in 1988, #5 in 1990 and #6 in 1992- information from notes to recording of quartets 3 and 4, and from [http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/catalogue/cat_results.asp?composerid=2698&classificationgroupid=9&stype=1]) George Rochberg (1918–2005) wrote seven, one of which includes variations on Pachelbel's Canon Leon Kirchner (born 1919): wrote three (1949, 1958, 1967); the third includes a tape part; the third quartet won the Pulitzer Prize in music, 1967 Moisei Vainberg (1919–1996): wrote seventeen, from his op. 2 (1937 rev. 1986) to op. 146 (1987) [http://home.wanadoo.nl/ovar/vainberg.htm] Peter Racine Fricker (1920–1990): wrote three string quartets (1947 to 1975) William Bergsma (1921–1994): wrote five string quartets (1942, 1944, 1953, 1970, 1982) Karel Husa (born 1921): wrote four; the third quartet won the Pulitzer Prize in music, 1969 Joonas Kokkonen (1921–1996): wrote three string quartets (1959, 1966, 1976) Robert Simpson (1921–1997): wrote 15 string quartets between 1952 and 1991 Iannis Xenakis (1922–2001): wrote four works for string quartet: "st/4 — 1,080262" (1955–1962) which was written with the help of an IBM 7090 computer using stochastic algorithms, Tetras (1983), a work in nine sections, Tetora (1990), which means "quaternary" in Dorian, Ergma (1994). György Ligeti (born 1923): String Quartet No. 1 ("Métamorphoses notturno") (1953–1954) and String Quartet No. 2 (1968) Peter Mennin (1923–1983): wrote two string quartets (1941 and 1951) Mel Powell (1923–1998): Filigree Setting (1959), String Quartet (1982) Lejaren Hiller (1924–1994): wrote seven Luciano Berio (1925–2003): wrote three, plus other pieces for string quartet Pierre Boulez (born 1925): wrote Livre pour quatuor (1949), then withdrew it, recasting some parts later as Livre pour cordes Gunther Schuller (born 1925): wrote three Boris Tchaikovsky (1925–1996): wrote six (1954–1976) Earle Brown (1926–2002): wrote one quartet (1965) Morton Feldman (1926–1987): Structures (1951); Three Pieces (1954–1956); String Quartet No.1 (1979), lasts about 100 minutes; String Quartet No.2 (1983) lasts over six hours Hans Werner Henze (born 1926): wrote five György Kurtág (born 1926): three works: String Quartet, Op.1, Hommage à Mihály András (12 Microludes), Op.13, Officium breve in memorium Andreae Szervánszky, Op.28 Thea Musgrave (born 1928): wrote one string quartet (1958) Einojuhani Rautavaara (born 1928) wrote four string quartets Ezra Sims (born 1928): String Quartet No. 2 (1962) (really a quintet), Third Quartet (1962) Karlheinz Stockhausen (born 1928): Helikopter String Quartet (from "Mittwoch" from "LICHT"), for 4 helicopters & string quartet George Crumb (born 1929): String Quartet, and Black Angels (Images I), for electric string quartet Peter Sculthorpe (born 1929): sixteen string quartets (up to 2005) Sofia Gubaidulina (born 1931): wrote four string quartets (1971, 1987, 1987, 1994), the last with tape Mauricio Kagel (born 1931): wrote four Ib Nørholm (born 1931): has written at least nine, number 1 from 1954 to number 9 his opus 137 in 1994 ([http://snyk.kroyer.kulturhotel.dk/vdb/resultat.php?PARAMET_KOMPID=159], Library of Congress listing of publication has opus #) Per NørgÃ¥rd (born 1932): wrote nine Henryk Górecki (born 1933): String Quartet No. 1 ("Already These are Dusk"), Op. 62, String Quartet No. 2 ("Quasi una Fantasia"), Op. 64; the Kronos Quartet will premiere Piesni Spiewaja ("...songs are sung"), String Quartet No. 3, Op. 67 in October 2005 Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933): wrote two string quartets (1960, 1968); Die Unterbrochene Gedanke (1984) Peter Maxwell Davies (born 1934): String Quartet in One Movement (1961); a few other shorter works; Maxwell Davies has been commissioned by the record company, Naxos to compose ten string quartets; six have been completed (2002-2005) Roger Reynolds (born 1934): Tetra, Coconino . . . A Shattered Landscape Alfred Schnittke (1934–1998): wrote four string quartets and a Canon in Memoriam Igor Stravinsky and Variations for string quartet Christian Wolff (born 1934): Summer (1960); Lines (1972) François-Bernard Mâche (1935): Eridan, String Quartet op. 57 (1986), written for the Arditti Quartet; Moires for string quartet and tape, Op. 73 (1994) Arvo Pärt (born 1935): Psalom, Summa, and arranged Fratres for string quartet Terry Riley (born 1935): String Quartet (1960), returned to pre-composed notated music at the request of the Kronos Quartet, Cadenza on the Night Plain, Mythic Birds Waltz, Salome Dances for Peace, Requiem for Adam Aulis Sallinen (born 1935): five string quartets Peter Schickele (born 1935): five string quartets, two quintets with piano La Monte Young (born 1935): On Remembering a Naiad (Five small pieces)(1956); Chronos Kristalla (Time Crystals) (1990), where the quartet's strings are tuned to Just intonation, play natural harmonics throughout, and lasts about ninety minutes Steve Reich (born 1936): Different Trains, for string quartet & tape; and one Triple Quartet (1999), which may be performed by one quartet (with tape), three, or a 36 piece orchestra Erich Urbanner (born 1936): wrote three quartets Philip Glass (born 1937): wrote three string quartets as a student, five mature string quartets (1966,1983, 1985, 1989, 1991) and music for string quartet for the 1931 film Dracula (1998) Valentin Silvestrov (born 1937): wrote two quartets (1974, 1988), plus Quartetto Piccolo (1961) Gloria Coates (born 1938): had written eight string quartets up to 2002 John Corigliano (born 1938): String Quartet (1995), revised for string orchestra as Symphony No. 2 (2000) Alvin Curran (born 1938): VSTO (1993) John Harbison (born 1938): wrote three Charles Wuorinen (born 1938): wrote four Louis Andriessen (born 1939): wrote two Jonathan Harvey (born 1939): wrote two Heinz Holliger (born 1939): wrote one (1973) Tom Johnson (born 1939): Formulas for String Quartet (1994) (eight movements, each following a mathematical formula) John McCabe (born 1939): wrote five (1960,1972,1979,1982,1989) Ingram Marshall (born 1942): Entrada (At the River) for string quartet amplified with processing, Evensongs, Voces Resonae (1984), and Fog Tropes II Gavin Bryars (born 1942): wrote three (1986 (Between the National and the Bristol), 1990, 1998) Johanna Bruzdowicz (born 1943): wrote two (1983, 1988) Brian Ferneyhough (born 1943): String Quartets Nos. 1–4; the fourth includes a part for a soprano Paul Lansky (born 1944): String Quartet No. 1 (1967), String Quartet No. 2 (1971–1978), Ricercare (2000) Michael Nyman (born 1944): four string quartets, plus a few smaller pieces, as of 2005 Peteris Vasks (born 1946): wrote four string quartets Peter Ruzicka (born 1948): wrote four quartets; the fourth includes a part for a speaker Kevin Volans (born 1949): nine string quartets, plus a short quartet movement, as of 2004

Born 1951 and later
Lois V Vierk (born 1951): Into the brightening air (1994/1999), dedicated to Mel Powell and River Beneath the River (1993) Bunita Marcus (born 1952) The Rugmaker (1986) Wolfgang Rihm (born 1952): wrote twelve quartets, as of 2005 John Zorn (born 1953): Forbidden Fruit for voice, string quartet & turntables (1987), '' Cat o' Nine Tails (or, Tex Avery Directs the Marquis de Sade) (1988), The Dead Man (1990), Memento Mori (1992), Kol Nidre (1996), Necronomicon (2003) Pascal Dusapin (born 1955): five quartets (1982, 1989, 1992, 1997, 2005) Bob Ostertag (born 1957): All the Rage (1992)

Julia Wolfe (born 1958): released an album of string quartets, The String Quartets: Dig Deep, Four Marys, and Early that summer (1991) Ezequiel Viñao (born 1960): La Noche de las Noches (1989) Edgar Meyer (born 1961): released an album mostly of string quartets, Short Trip Home (1999) Graham Fitkin (born 1963): Servant (1992)

String quartets (ensembles)

For the purposes of performance, groups of string players sometimes group together to make ad hoc string quartets. Other groups continue playing together for many years, sometimes changing their members but retaining their name. Well known string quartets include:

Aeolian Quartet Alban Berg Quartet Alberni Quartet Allegri Quartet Amadeus Quartet Amati Quartet Arditti Quartet Australian String Quartet Aviv String Quartet Balanescu Quartet Belcea Quartet Bond (band) Borodin Quartet Brandis Quartet Brentano Quartet Brodsky Quartet Budapest Quartet Busch Quartet Carmine Quartet Claring Chamber Players Cleveland Quartet Chilingirian Quartet Colorado Quartet Corvinus Quartet Covington Quartet Coull Quartet Da Vinci Quartet Delme Quartet Del Sol Quartet Duke Quartet Endellion Quartet Emerson String Quartet Festetics String Quartet Fitzwilliam Quartet Gabrieli Quartet Griller Quartet Guarneri Quartet Hagen Quartet Hollywood Quartet Hungarian Quartet Italian Quartet Juilliard String Quartet Kodály Quartet Kopelman Quartet Kronos Quartet Lindsay Quartet Melos Quartet Orford Quartet Orlando Quartet Peterson Quartet Prague Quartet Quartet-X Quatuor Mosaïques Rosamunde Quartett Salomon Quartet Shanghai String Quartet Silesian String Quartet Smetana Quartet Skampa Quartet Smith Quartet Takács Quartet Talich Quartet Tchaikovski Quartet Tokyo String Quartet Vegh Quartet Vermeer Quartet Vertavo String Quartet Ysaÿe Quartet Zagreb Quartet Zorian Quartet

Further Reading

David Blum (1986). The Art of Quartet Playing: The Guarneri Quartet in Conversation with David Blum, New York: Alfred A. Knopf Inc. ISBN 0394539850, Edith Eisler (2000). 21st-Century String Quartets, String Letter Publishing. ISBN 1890490156 Paul Griffiths (1983). The String Quartet: A History, New York: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 050001311X David Rounds (1999), The Four & the One: In Praise of String Quartets'', Fort Bragg, CA: Lost Coast Press. ISBN 1882897269.