String Quartet No 4

With the 4th String Quartet, Op. 22, Paul Hindemith opens up new realms of expression and develops his art of quartet writing with unwavering consistency. In five contrasting movements, the work combines contrapuntal density, rhythmic energy, tonal colour, and virtuosic instrumental writing. Hindemith himself emphasised the work’s new simplicity and clarity, while contemporary critics particularly praised its richness of colour and its melodic and rhythmic inventiveness. After its successful première by the Amar Quartet, the work was quickly taken up by leading ensembles and has remained part of the contemporary standard repertoire to this day. This edition is published for the first time in accordance with the text of the scholarly complete edition of Paul Hindemith’s works.