The Best of String Quartets (5)

Discover (or rediscover) on medici.tv some of the greatest string quartets ever composed! But first, let’s get some terminology straight… The term string quartet can designate two different things: a work of music composed for four string instruments, or the ensemble of musicians who perform that work. String quartets are written for two violins, a viola, and a cello—but within those boundaries, composers across the ages have managed to create pieces of such great variety that many don’t seem to belong to the same genre. The infinite adaptability of the string quartet, as well as its simple and refined form, make it an ideal ground for experimentation—which helps explain its longevity, as contemporary composers continue to innovate in the field in the 21st century.