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 (Martinů) String Quartet No. 1 (Martinů) String Quartet No.1, (H. 117) (the French Quartet), is a chamber composition by the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů. Martinů was strongly drawn to the string quartet form from his childhood. He composed his first quartet, based on the poem "Tři jezdci" by Czech poet Jaroslav Vrchlický, at the age of eight. However, Martinů's juvenile works remain forgotten, are now archive material, and it is difficult to reconstruct them. Martinů made his first step into the world of quartet writing with his ""French Quartet"". The work was composed in Polička in 1918. In 1925 Martinů intended