Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 1847) String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 (1837) I. Allegro assai appassionato 0:00 II. Scherzo. Allegro di molto 10:30 III. Andante 14:36 IV. Presto agitato 20:41 Emerson String Quartet (2004) The String Quartet No. 4 in E minor is the second of Mendelssohn s three Op. 44 string quartets, which he dedicated to the Crown Prince of Sweden. The work is in four movements and typically lasts around 27 minutes. Heard right after the vibrant D major Quartet, Op. 44, No. 1, Felix Mendelssohn s String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2 (which was actually composed many months before Op. 44, No. 1, but who s counting ), seems wonderfully tense and urgent. It was a success when Ferdinand David and his quartet premiered it on October 28, 1837, four months after Mendelssohn finished it but two years still before it was published, and its popularity with string players student, amateur, and professional is probably a