The String Quartet: A History

by Paul Griffiths

Traces the origin and development of the string quartet, discusses its repertoire, and explains how modern composers have changed it

Genres: Music, History

Paperback

First published October 3, 1983

About the author

Paul Anthony Griffiths, OBE, is a British music critic, novelist and librettist. He is particularly noted for his writings on modern classical music and for having written the libretti for two 20th century operas, Tan Dun's Marco Polo and Elliott Carter's What Next? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gr...]

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book when I first became interested in string quartets back in the 1980s. It was an excellent guide, pointing me in the direction of string quartets to check out, and explaining and illuminating the history and development of the genre. Well-written and accessible, it communicates the author's enthusiasm, and is still a pleasure to dip into.

[Ken-ichi]

This was referenced in a lecture on / performance of Dvorak's string quartets I attended. Not really sure I'll ever get to it, but thought I'd jot it down.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says most of what you need to know. I didn't realize this was a textbook when I bought it, but it makes sense - the literature on the subject is fairly limited on Amazon. Surely there are more erudite texts to be consulted in various library collections, but for immediacy of access, this is the book to get.

Paul Griffiths manages to keep a solid level of engagement throughout, but I caveat that you probably need some music theory (at least enough to read a grand staff and not have to continually look up jargon) and presumably will be listening to the music as you read through the book. But, if you didn't love the string quartet as a genre (or didn't have to take a class), then it's unlikely you'd have found this book in the first place.

I loved it, and look forward to reading a couple other works of Griffiths - he has a Concise History of Western Music and a Penguin Companion to Classical Music which just made my wishlist.

[David Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this is a history of the string quartet as an art form, from its beginnings with 'Papa' Joseph Haydn until the more modern 'contributions' of Xenakis, Cage, Ferneyhough, etc. I enjoyed the book for its comparisons ("[Unlike Mozart] Haydn is never lovely, though of course he may be beautiful") and insights into the composition process. There is a plethora of musical examples. All that said, I must admit that I found this book a bit too technical for me and a bit dry in its execution. Perhaps it is best read by the true specialist with extensive musical background...

[Ad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history of the genre of the string quartet, the most perfect musical form in the world. A very useful overview, although the author concentrates on the lofty peaks and some of the lesser composers tend to fall by the wayside.

See my overview of the string quartet in 5 parts on my website, starting with https://adblankestijn.blogspot.com/20...