Highland/Etling String Quartet Series: Book 4: String Quartet Score & Parts

This book delivers genuine repertoire staples in genuinely playable settings. Rather than simplifying away the character of pieces like Elgar's Marcia Alla Turca and Schubert's Deutsche Tanze, Sanfilippo preserves what makes them memorable while keeping the technical demands reasonable for grade 3 ensembles. String quartets at this level rarely get access to music this substantial.

A mix of period music and familiar melodies that feels substantial without overwhelming. Baroque elegance, Classical grace, and the gentle character of folk traditions sit alongside celebratory marches, the collection covers real emotional ground in straightforward, musicianly writing.

String quartet programs introducing young players to ensemble repertoire beyond unison exercises and pedagogical etudes. These arrangements work equally well for festival preparation, informal concert programming, or as the core of a chamber music curriculum for grades 4-6 students.

• Shape the Peer Gynt themes with phrase awareness; these melodies are strong enough to carry weight without heavy vibrato, letting the ensemble's blend speak first.
• Attend closely to the Beethoven's rhythmic precision in the accompaniment parts, the waltz character depends on steady, predictable support from viola and cello.
• Balance the middle voices in Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance; the march character emerges from all four parts working together, not just the first violin.
• Take time before the Schubert to agree on tempo and subdivisions. These dances trip up groups that rush or lose metric clarity in the midst of moderate tempo.

Book 4 functions well as a full chamber concert on its own or as a varied selection of shorter pieces interspersed throughout a larger string program concert. Consider pairing the Grieg and Schubert together for a European classics block, then moving to the English showpieces for a second half that brings immediate impact.

• Ensemble balance and voice independence in four-part writing
• Reading and executing articulation across contrasting styles (Baroque phrasing versus Classical clarity)
• Maintaining rhythmic integrity in dance forms and march contexts
• Sustaining longer phrases with appropriate dynamic shaping
• Collaboration skills specific to equal-voice chamber scoring