KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI (1933-2020): String Quartets No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 “Leaves from an Unwritten Diary” and No, 4, String Trio, Der unterbrochene Gedanke.

Description: Penderecki wrote music for string quartet over a period of 56 years. His String Quartet No. 1 was written in the same year that he achieved international success with Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, and includes a wide range of playing techniques reflective of the avant-garde. No. 2 (1968) reveals the influence of Ligeti, while No. 3 (2008) is a personal, even autobiographical work. In No. 4 (2016) there are modal or even folk inflections, in writing that is both limpid and abrasive. The eventful Der unterbrochene Gedanke of 1988 completes Penderecki’s music for quartet, while the String Trio (1991) exemplifies his music’s motoric energy. Tippett Quartet.