String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15 Cover Image

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Conductor Score & Parts

$17.50 USD

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Conductor Score & Parts

Name: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 15: String Duo & Ensemble, Quartet, Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 36-M218791
Price: 17.50 USD
Availability: InStock

By Alexander Von Zemlinsky

Item: 36-M218791

$17.50

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Written by Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871-1942) between 1913 and 1915, STRING QUARTET No. 2, Op. 15 is an early work by the Austrian composer and close colleague, friend, and brother-in-law of Arnold Schoenberg. While Zemlinsky's music customarily reflected his pleasant nature, this string quartet expresses numerous tragic events that had happened in the previous fifteen years, resulting in a much more turbulent work. As those tragic events involved Zemlinsky's sister and Schoenberg's wife, Mathilde, the composer used the mutual love of musical numerology to offer an apology to Schoenberg in the music itself for blaming him for the recent tragedies. The work saw its first performance in Vienna in 1918. Reprint of the original edition.

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Series: Master String Series - LudwigMasters

Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.

ISBN10: 8-89-563277-X

ISBN13: 979-889-563-2772

UPC: 659859317748

SKU: 36-M218791

Instrumentation: 2 Violins, Viola, and Violoncello

More about this title

About the Composer: Alexander Von Zemlinsky

Alexander von Zemlinsky (1871-1942) was an Austrian composer and conductor whose music bridged late Romanticism and early modernism. A respected figure in Viennese musical circles, he maintained a lifelong professional and personal connection with Arnold Schoenberg, serving as conductor, mentor, and family member (he married Schoenberg's sister Mathilde in 1911). Though overshadowed by Schoenberg's innovations, Zemlinsky developed a distinctive voice marked by lush orchestration, chromaticism, and deep emotional introspection.

Zemlinsky's catalog spans operas, symphonies, chamber works, and songs, many of which explore psychological complexity beneath their lyrical surfaces. He taught at the Vienna Conservatory, directed opera companies, and fled Nazi Austria in 1938, eventually settling in the United States. His chamber music, including the two string quartets, reveals a composer wrestling with personal tragedy and artistic change, making these works essential to understanding early 20th-century Austrian compositional thought.

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Why we love this

This quartet captures a pivotal moment in Zemlinsky's artistic life, transforming biographical crisis into music of genuine substance and complexity. The work balances structural rigor with emotional rawness in a way that rewards both ensemble cohesion and individual musicianship, offering advanced players something far more rewarding than standard Romantic quartet repertoire.

What to expect

The quartet unfolds with the weight of personal anguish transformed into musical architecture. Its chromaticism and restless harmonic language create an atmosphere of turbulence and searching, yet moments of lyricism emerge like glimpses of light breaking through storm clouds, revealing Zemlinsky's characteristic warmth beneath the work's darker surface.

Who it's for

This work suits advanced amateur and professional string quartets seeking repertoire that challenges both technique and interpretive maturity. It belongs in the library of any ensemble committed to exploring early modernist chamber music and the Vienna School beyond Schoenberg.

How to get the most out of it

Attend closely to Zemlinsky's chromatic voice-leading and unconventional harmonic progressions. Intonation demands precision, especially in passages where traditional functional harmony dissolves.
Balance transparency across all four parts rather than privileging the first violin line. This score thrives when each voice is audible and shaped with purpose.
Invest time in understanding the work's emotional arc across movements. Zemlinsky's numerological references and thematic transformations reward preparation that goes beyond mechanical note-learning.
Use silence and rubato expressively. Zemlinsky often leaves space for breath between phrases, and these moments define the quartet's introspective character.

How to use it

Program this alongside other Viennese modernist chamber works (Berg, Webern, or Schoenberg) to frame a coherent artistic statement about the Second Viennese School. Alternatively, pair it with late Brahms or early Reger to trace the path from Romantic expansion toward 20th-century harmonic language.