The Complete String Quartets

"We do not understand music--it understands us." This aphorism by Theodor W. Adorno expresses the quandary and the fascination many listeners have felt in approaching Beethoven's late quartets. No group of compositions occupies a more central position in chamber music, yet the meaning of these works continues to stimulate debate. William Kinderman's The String Quartets of Beethoven stands as the most detailed and comprehensive exploration of the subject. It collects new work by leading international scholars who draw on a variety of historical sources and analytical approaches to offer fresh insights into the aesthetics of the quartets, probing expressive and structural features that have hitherto received little attention. This volume also includes an appendix with updated information on the chronology and sources of the quartets and a detailed bibliography.

This single volume study score contains all of Mozart's string quartets: the little-known early quartets in an Italianate manner; the six quartets dedicated to Haydn; the D Major Quartet; and the last three quartets written for the King of Prussia. In addition to the 23 string quartets, the alternate slow movement to the G Major Quartet, K.156, is included.

Although the string quartet was a rarely used form in 19th-century Russia, Tchaikovsky and Borodin both produced superb, inventive compositions in the genre. Tchaikovsky's "String Quartet No. 1" in D, Op. 11, is notable for its imaginative freshness and world-famous "Andante cantabile" movement. His "Quartet No. 2" in F, Op. 22, displays remarkable fluency and skilled craftsmanship, while "Quartet No. 3" in F-flat Minor, Op. 30, combines austerity with deeply felt intensity and vigor. Borodin's two string quartets are characterized by his impeccable craftsmanship and expert understanding and use of his instruments. The popular "String Quartet" No. 2 is especially known for the luxuriant richness of its third movement "Nocturne." Now all five works are available in this handsome, inexpensive edition. Reprinted from authoritative scores.

'They are not for you but for a later age!' Ludwig van Beethoven, on the Opus 59 quartets. Tackling the Beethoven quartets is a rite of passage that has shaped the Takács Quartet's work together for over forty years. Using the history of the composition and first performances of the quartets as the backbone to his story, Edward Dusinberre, first violinist of the Takács since 1993 - recounts the life of the Quartet from its inception in Hungary, through emigration to the US and its present-day life as one of the world's renowned string quartets. He also describes what it was like for him, as a young man fresh out of the Juilliard School, to join the Quartet as its first non-Hungarian member - an exhilarating challenge. Beethoven for a Later Age takes the reader inside the life of a quartet, vividly showing how four people enjoy making music together over a long period of time. The key, the author argues, is in balancing continuity with change and experimentation - a theme that also lies at the heart of Beethoven's remarkable compositions.

Spotlighting the four women of the Lafayette Quartet, a leading Canadian ensemble, Rounds offers both a comprehensive history of the beloved instrumental form and an inside view of the complex world of professional quartet players, revealing the exultation and heatache that are the performing artists' daily fare. A treat for every music lover, whether player, listener or composer.

This Companion offers a concise and authoritative survey of the string quartet by eleven chamber music specialists. Its fifteen carefully structured chapters provide coverage of a stimulating range of perspectives previously unavailable in one volume. It focuses on four main areas: the social and musical background to the quartet's development; the most celebrated ensembles; string quartet playing, including aspects of contemporary and historical performing practice; and the mainstream repertory, including significant 'mixed ensemble' compositions involving string quartet. Various musical and pictorial illustrations and informative appendixes, including a chronology of the most significant works, complete this indispensable guide. Written for all string quartet enthusiasts, this Companion will enrich readers' understanding of the history of the genre, the context and significance of quartets as cultural phenomena, and the musical, technical and interpretative problems of chamber music performance. It will also enhance their experience of listening to quartets in performance and on recordings.