String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83 Cover Image

String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Parts

$17.95 USD
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String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83 Cover Image
String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Parts

String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Parts

By Edward Elgar

Item: 36-M243191
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Description
While Edward Elgar (1857-1934) made his attempt at writing a string quartet in 1907, he put his work aside when embarking on his SYMPHONY No. 1, where he actually applied themes he had written for the quartet. Elgar did not make another attempt until 1918, after he and Lady Elgar moved to the peaceful countryside Brinkwells cottage, where he finally completed is wholly new STRING QUARTET in E minor, Op. 83. He also composed his other two great chamber works, the VIOLIN SONATA in E minor, Op. 82 and the PIANO QUINTET in A minor, Op. 84, in that same year, again stopping his work on the string quartet each time to do so. These three chamber works and his CELLO CONCERTO in E minor, Op. 85, written in 1919, were Elgar's last major works, though he did survive another 15 years after writing them. While not programmatic, Lady Elgar said of one of the quartet's movements that it "captured sunshine" and likened another to the "galloping of stallions." Reprint edition of the parts.

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Additional Details
Series: Master String Series - LudwigMasters
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-563498-5
ISBN13: 979-889-563-4981
UPC: 612735720193
SKU: 36-M243191
Instrumentation: String Quartet

More about this title

About the Composer: Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was an English composer who achieved international recognition relatively late in his career, becoming one of the most significant British classical composers of his era. His late works, particularly the chamber music written after 1918, represent a intensely personal phase of creativity shaped by his retreat to rural England and his reflection on themes of loss, memory, and beauty.

Why we love this

Elgar's late chamber works possess a lyrical depth that rewards careful ensemble listening and thoughtful interpretation. The E minor quartet showcases writing that balances technical demands with genuine emotional substance, making it a rewarding challenge for quartets ready to move beyond standard repertoire into the heart of the Romantic chamber canon.

What to expect

The quartet breathes with the contemplative quality of Elgar's mature years at Brinkwells, alternating between moments of luminous tenderness and energetic momentum. Its language feels both rooted in Romantic tradition and deeply personal, with harmonic turns that surprise and passages that shimmer with orchestral color despite the intimate four-voice texture.

Who it's for

String quartets with solid intonation, secure rhythm reading, and the musical maturity to navigate Romantic harmonic language. This work suits ensembles preparing for competitions, chamber music festivals, or concert programs that reach beyond the standard Classical quartet repertoire.

How to get the most out of it

  • Attend closely to the tonal ambiguity in the opening; the quartet establishes E minor through architecture rather than harmonic declaration, so clarity of line becomes essential.
  • Shape the longer phrases as continuous arcs rather than breaking them into smaller gestures; Elgar's writing depends on sustained musical breath.
  • Balance the emotional weight between instruments carefully in the slower movements, where thematic material passes between players in ways that can easily get lost in ensemble balance.
  • Reference recordings by established quartets to understand the scope of interpretive possibility; this work supports multiple valid approaches to tempo and character.

How to use it

Position this alongside other late Romantic or early 20th-century chamber works to create a cohesive concert statement about introspection and maturity. It also pairs naturally with Elgar's own Violin Sonata in E minor or Cello Concerto, allowing you to build a program around his late chamber music period.

Skills your students will build

  • Reading and executing sustained legato phrasing across multiple measures
  • Balancing tonal blend in passages where thematic material distributes across all four instruments
  • Interpreting chromatic voice-leading and extended harmonic language
  • Ensemble flexibility with tempo and rubato in Romantic-era context
  • Intonation adjustment in extended tonalities and passages with harmonic ambiguity

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