String Quartet

String Quartet was composed by Mumbai-born Brian Elias in 2012, and was commissioned by the Jerusalem String Quartet. Lasting around 20 minutes, this is the full score of the work arranged for Violin I, Violin II, Viola and Cello.

The work has been laid out in the conventional four movements, Allegro, Adagio, Presto, Adagio-Allegro-Adagio, but it is essentially a work in a single movement to be performed with no breaks. A set of double variations generates the thematic and harmonic material for the entire piece in its first few bars, with a brilliant Viola solo afterwards. Throughout the piece, changes in dynamics and tempo characterise the different movements, before finally ending with a calming return to the slow music.