The Four Quarters: String Quartet Parts

The Four Quarters offers chamber musicians a masterwork that demands genuine sophistication without sacrificing musical vitality. Adès constructs each movement as a distinct sonic world, yet the overall arc feels inevitable. The 25/16 finale alone makes this piece memorable for audiences and players alike, turning what could be a mere technical novelty into something genuinely exhilarating.

The Four Quarters unfolds like a heightened day of consciousness, beginning in twilight introspection and moving through dew-laden morning brightness, contemplative afternoon shadows, and finally a delirious, clock-defying celebration. Adès's sound world is precise and often austere, yet shot through with moments of genuine warmth and rhythmic vitality.

Advanced string quartets preparing for festivals, competitions, or concert programs seeking substantial contemporary repertoire. The piece suits musicians with solid intonation, rhythmic facility, and the stamina for complex ensemble coordination.

• Shape the opening harmonics in 'Nightfalls' with consistent bow speed and minimal vibrato; these glassy sonorities need space to shimmer rather than projections to land hard.
• Lock the rhythmic drive in 'The Twenty-Fifth Hour' by establishing a clear subdivision of the 25/16 beat in rehearsal before adding expression; the unusual meter demands precision as the foundation for any swing feel.
• Balance the searching ostinato in 'Days' so it remains audible as an anchor without sounding mechanical; this movement asks for patient, almost meditative playing from the non-ostinato voices.
• Let the pizzicati in 'Serenade' speak with rhythmic clarity and articulation; this movement's playfulness depends on crisp attacks and well-timed releases.

Pair this with shorter works to create an all-Adès concert or chamber music series, or use it as an anchor work in a contemporary music festival showcase. Its 20-minute duration and British Composer Award pedigree make it ideal for university concerts or chamber series seeking to highlight living composers.

• Reading and executing mixed meters, particularly unusual signatures (25/16)
• Producing varied tonal colors (harmonics, pizzicati, arco) within a single work
• Maintaining ensemble cohesion through extended passages with unconventional time signatures
• Balancing independent melodic lines while tracking a supporting ostinato
• Interpreting contemporary notational conventions and performance techniques