Vagn Holmboe's String Quartet No.4 ('4. Quartetto') /Strygekvartet Nr.4 Op.63 (1954). Dedicated to Per Nørgård.

String Quartet No.4 was written for the Camilli Quartet who gave the first performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall London April 1995. It is dedicated to the memory of Nyman's composition teacher Alan Bush.This quartet is anarrative made up of a chain of twelve complete but often cross-related movements each quite simple in design. For instance the Scottish melody first heard in the second half of I is hinted at in the 2nd violin/viola in thesecond fast section of II and is directly quoted again during III and XII. The theme of the fast section of IV is taken up again in VIII; IX reverts to the mood of the opening of I while the rising scale/syncopated themes of II IX and the bass of X and XII are related. X also reintroduces the slow harmonics theme from VII. XII is (apparently) cast in the form of a baroque French rondeau. The main theme of VI was plucked out of the Quartet and used inmy score for Christopher Hampton’s film Carrington. Duration 40 minutes. A set of parts is available for sale.

Score for String Quartet No.4 by George Nicholson. Written for the Ligeti String Quartet.

Parts for String Quartet No.4 by George Nicholson. Written for the Ligeti String Quartet.

Philip Glass's String Quartet No.4 was composed as part of the Memorial concert for the artist Brian Buczak. Commissioned by Geoffrey Hendricks it received its first performance on 4 July 1989 at the Emily Harvey Gallery NewYork City.