Best Post-1950 String Quartet Cycle

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

String quartets have been on my mind lately, since hearing last week's Bartok marathon at Ravinia.

A couple of caveats to the question:

1. Even though most of Shostakovich's quartets are post-1950, I am not including him, because I think he would run away with this poll. So feel free to interpret this as "second-best cycle" if you like.

2. Definition of "cycle": at least 3 completed works. This rules out some notable quartets, such as Lutoslawski's one-and-only, and the 2 by Ligeti.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Other: Ferneyhough. 6 numbered quartets so far I think, each highly individual and very expressive to me. And the Sonatas for String Quartet are excellent too!

[Johnnie Burgess]

Another composer to be mentioned is Heitor Villa-Lobos.  He wrote 6 from 1950 till his death.

[Gurn Blanston]

I am very partial to Bloch's quartets, mainly from the early '50's. I also like Malipiero's, but IIRC they are mainly from the '40's with a gap from 1950 for #7 to 1964 for #8, so they don't qualify.

Bloch, then.

[nathanb]

I'd guess Ferneyhough off the top of my head. Carter would probably fit nicely in the top 3-5 though. Lachenmann has perhaps said the most with the least allowable number of quartets (3).

[amw]

Ferneyhough, Dillon or Lachenmann I guess. Or Radulescu pending future releases in the Mode series

[kishnevi]

Of those named I have actually only heard Carter.
But Tippett's cycle certainly should be in the running.

There's also Holmboe, although the first two or three were composed before the date limit.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Of those I know, Carter blows them all away. Even above Shosty, IMHO.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I'm certainly learning a lot from these responses. Maybe I should check out Ferneyhough next?

Of those I know, Carter blows them all away. Even above Shosty, IMHO.

I've been exploring the Carter cycle in detail over the last several months, and I may agree with you on this. Although DSCH has the edge on sheer variety, with 15 very different 4tets to choose from - a DSCH 4tet for every mood or occasion!

[bhodges]

First choice: Carter. Second: Lachenmann. Don't know some of these other interesting choices, like Bloch and Ferneyhough, though I know other works by them.

--Bruce

[SimonNZ]

I don't know if she's be my top choice, but I want to give a shout out to Gloria Coates.

[Monsieur Croche]

Would Xenakis count? Since they're not numerically named

...if he composed, post 1950, three or more works for any combination of the four instruments from the Viol family (Vn, Va, Vc, Vbass), then, yeah :-)

[The new erato]

For me, Krzysztof Meyer.

+1- I also like Bloch.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

A few people have mentioned some other great quartet cycles that I admire so much and would definitely add to my initial vote for Ferneyhough:
Lachenmann
Coates
Haas
Carter

[North Star]

...if he composed, post 1950, three or more works for any combination of the four instruments from the Viol family (Vn, Va, Vc, Vbass), then, yeah :-)

I think you mean the violin family, though, not viol family - this isn't about gamba quartets, as far as I know. 


I'd pick Carter, Ferneyhough, Schnittke, and Xenakis (in that order), but I'm not all that familiar with post-'50 SQ cycles.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I think you mean the violin family, though, not viol family - this isn't about gamba quartets, as far as I know. 

violin family

TRIGGERED

Considering the etymology first: i think it really should be called the 'viola family' not the violin family. In the Italian the word for 'violin' referred to a small viola! 

[North Star]

TRIGGERED

Considering the etymology first: i think it really should be called the 'viola family' not the violin family. In the Italian the word for 'violin' referred to a small viola! 

Ha! Hindemith is not amused?  Yes, etymologically violin is derived from viola. But since viola has been used to refer to instruments of both families (viola da gamba), it's sensible to call the violin family just that (and, face it, Paul - the violin is more popular )

[GioCar]

Just to add some more amazing cycles not yet mentioned:

Scelsi

Gubaidulina

Sciarrino

Anyway my top choice would probably be Carter

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Ha! Hindemith is not amused?  Yes, etymologically violin is derived from viola. But since viola has been used to refer to instruments of both families (viola da gamba), it's sensible to call the violin family just that (and, face it, Paul - the violin is more popular )

'smol viola family'

[Karl Henning]

(Disclaimer: as a former student, I am clearly an interested party.)

While I don't know that I would propose them for The Best (although, again, this remains rather a squishy pursuit), I find all four of Wuorinen's quartets excellent.