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Quartets!

November 17, 2008 at 9:52 PM

I know there's already a thread, "what's your favorite string quartet?"  But I need something simpler.  I haven't played a quartet since college, and the only one I remember playing is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.  But I was invited to play in a quartet with some people from my orchestra.  My teacher thinks this will be a great opportunity for me.  What are some good quartets  for inexperienced players to start out with?

And have any of you started playing quartets recently, or as adults?  How did it start out and develop?  In this case, the violist is much more experienced, and so is the cellist.  I've requested the 2nd violin part, at least for now.  

Some of the Mozart Divertimenti for strings were really conceived of as string quartets.  K.136 (I think that's the number) comes to mind.  Also, Mozart quartets are probably a good place to start.  A teacher could probably advise better than I can.  Have fun!

Greetings,

Bocherini.  Also try Haydn opus 20 no4 and Bach `The Art of Fugue.`

Cheers,

Buri

Actually K.136-138 would all be possibilities.

Try some Haydn.  There is a Haydn SQ CD-ROM  with printable parts.  That might save some $$$.

Also, some of the Haydn SQs have 2nd vioin parts that are not for the faint of heart...

Mendelssohn wrote some nice quartets too.  Have fun!

Bach's Art of Fugue can be deceptively "simple"...  it is an exercise in counting as a group.  Often you won't know if someone mis-counted until the end :)

Haydn 20 is a good one.  Beethoven Op. 18 is also well known.  Many of the Mozart quartets would be good as well. Though Haydn, Beethoven & Mozart may seem simple to some extent, making them sound good as a group can be challenging. 

With the quartet I'm in, we started with "testing" each other's strengths and weaknesses.  Not like you would in an audition, but trying several different pieces of varying degrees of difficulties until we found piece that we could all play comfortably and well.  It took some time to learn each other's queues and how to queue each other (hint:  learn the "sniff" technique).  In a quartet, this is very important.  You have no conductor, so you have to rely on each other.

We had the "great metronome debate" a few times, until we decided how and when we should use one during practice.  Then came figuring out how to coach ourselves and work through sections that needed extra attention. 

Now, a year later, we are getting a coach.

Enjoy yourself!  Quartets (& other small ensembles) are sooooo much fun!!!!!!