String quartet in e minor
The string quartet was created in 2011, commissioned for a violinist friend. Since I didn't know any string quartets at the time, I first listened to existing string quartets and came across Mendelssohn's quartets. These have inspired my string quartet so much that it can almost be seen as a copy of Mendelssohn's style.
The entire string quartet is characterized by a main motif, which is presented in unison by all the strings at the beginning and then runs through all movements of the piece in slight variations.
The first movement is a very typical sonata movement with two contrasting themes and a development section that further develops the thematic material. The second movement is a slow Sarabande with the characteristic emphasis on the second beat, with a strongly contrasting, very virtuosic middle section in 6/8 time.
The third movement is a Slavic dance characterized by the constant alternation between 3/4 and 6/8 time, while the fourth movement is written in the classic sonata form and presents a very interesting, melodic variant of the main motif. At the very end, the main theme from the first movement returns again before the piece ends peacefully in a slow coda in major.
Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, cello
Length: 25 min (4 movements)
1. movement (computer generated recording):