String quartet String quartet A string quartet is a musical ensemble consisting of four string players – two violin players, a viola player and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group. The string quartet is one of the most prominent chamber ensembles in classical music, with most major composers, from the mid 18th century onwards, writing string quartets. The string quartet was developed into its current form by the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, with his works in the 1750s establishing the genre. Ever since Haydn's day the string quartet has been considered a prestigious form
String Quartet No. 1 (Rouse) String Quartet No. 1 (Rouse) The String Quartet No. 1 is the first string quartet by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The work was commissioned by the Casella Quartet and completed on June 7, 1982. The work has a duration of roughly 16 minutes and is composed in six movements: The work was primarily inspired by Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 4 and the assassination of Anwar Sadat, about which Rouse commented in the score program notes: Edward Rothstein of "The New York Times" praised the string quartet, remarking that "the work's outbursts seemed insistent and intemperate". Reviewing a later