The Evolution of the String Quartet - A Composer's View

Abstract

The 1st movements of 9 String Quartets, from Haydn to Moss. are discussed with music examples. The 9 composers, in chronological sequence, are: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Stravinsky, Bartok, Schoenberg, Ligeti and Moss. Each quartet is introduced with a brief explanation of its historical importance in the string quartet genre, followed by a discussion of the compositional choices made by each composer. These choices are illustrated with brief musical examples and diagrams.