The World of the String Quartet

Welcome to the World of the String Quartet, where you will hear the extraordinary stories behind great repertoire, discover renowned performers' experiences, and develop keen insight as a listener. This first program samples stunning repertoire from some of the most significant composers: Ravel, Beethoven, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Dvořák. What power can four instruments hold?

We begin exploring string quartets during the Classical Era, when balanced structure emphasized variety, contrast, and drama. Discover the starting point of four democratic and personal string voices—and, before long, its development—with Haydn (Op. 33, No. 2, "The Joke"), Mozart (K. 465, "Dissonance"), and Beethoven (Op. 18, No. 1; Op. 130; and Op. 131). There was a dramatic change in performance from Beethoven's time to our own era. How did that happen?

Personal expression infused Romantic Era compositions, including the string quartets of Schubert (D. 810, "Death and the Maiden"), Mendelssohn (Op. 13 and Op. 80), Schumann (Op. 41, No. 3), and Brahms (Op. 51, No. 1). Yet in the generation after Beethoven's towering genius, composers wrote fewer quartets. Why? And where did the followers of Beethoven take the quartet next?

Beyond German-speaking countries, composers adapted the string quartet to their own cultures—some more so than others. National traits, as well as personal stories, emerge in the heartfelt works of Smetana ("From My Life"), Dvořák (Op. 105), Tchaikovsky (Op. 22), Borodin (No. 2), and Bartók (No. 5). How does this very individual music convey its national identity?