GRIEG said that he wrote this Quartet when he was in the country seeking peace and refreshment after a time of spiritual restlessness and sorrow.
Of the four Movements wo are to hear the Second, a Romance, graceful, tender and intimate, and the Third, an Intermezzo in the rhythm of a Norwegian dance, the Hailing, that is partly allied to the Scottish Reel and Strathspey.
THIS is one of tho few works of Debussy in which he left the music to convey its own message without any descriptive title.
During the thirty odd years that have gone by since it was written it has gained steadily in popularity, and by now it has almost become a classic.
It is in four Movements.
The FIRST Movement is well described by the directions given to the players : ' Animated, and very decided.'
In the first few bars is g:vcn out a sort of 'motto '-a tune which runs like a thread through the whole Quartet.
The SECOND MOVEMENT is very humorous-almost grotesque. It is nearly all made out of the ' motto ' Tune.
The THIRD MOVEMENT is a subdued, emotional piece, in which the instruments are muted a good deal.
The FOURTH Movement is a kind of mixture of capricious remarks and emphatic statements.