The Best in Broadway: String Quartet Full Score & Parts

This collection gives string quartets genuine Broadway literature that sounds idiomatic to the ensemble rather than feeling adapted or thin. The selections span eras and styles, so programmers can build a cohesive concert around favorites or mix them into a broader season without concern for stylistic patchiness.

Nostalgic and warmth meet harmonic sophistication. These arrangements capture the sophistication of Broadway orchestration in intimate form, balancing the elegance of the Great American Songbook with the theatrical expressiveness that made these melodies memorable. The textures shift from lush and romantic to brisk and witty depending on the selection.

String quartets looking for crowd-pleasing repertoire that audiences recognize and enjoy. This works for community ensembles, advanced high school quartets, and university string quartet courses where students benefit from tackling well-known material without the density of standard classical quartet literature.

• Balance the melody across first and second violin rather than letting the first violin dominate; these songs benefit from conversational interplay between upper voices.
• Pay attention to the accompaniment figures in viola and cello as they often contain the harmonic sophistication that makes Broadway orchestrations work.
• Let the lyrical quality of each tune breathe; resist the urge to push tempos even when ensemble feels secure.
• Test fingerings for the chromatic passages and jazz-inflected harmony early, as these will require precision to sound intentional rather than tentative.

Open a chamber music concert or pops program with one or two selections to establish a lighter, accessible tone before moving into heavier repertoire. Alternatively, program the entire collection as a single Broadway-themed concert that appeals to patrons who might not otherwise attend classical chamber music events.

• Balancing melody and accompaniment across four voices
• Articulation and style in jazz-inflected harmony
• Ensemble intonation in chromatic progressions
• Stylistic differentiation between lyrical and rhythmic passages
• Reading and executing Broadway-specific phrasing and rubato