Around 1960, the Pole Krzysztof Penderecki, like Ligeti, was also working with densely packed sounds, with clusters, but precisely from a strongly theatrical aesthetic. Witold Lutosławski also belonged to the post-serial composers at this time. He particularly applied guided aleatoric (the music often sounds like a noncommittal improvisation, but never is), as in his only String Quartet from 1964. The German Wolfgang Rihm was also searching around 1970, as a teenager. Webern or Berg? Serialism or straightforward expressiveness? In his First String Quartet it is mainly the first that plays.
In the 1970s, doubts struck many composers. Communication and expressiveness are coming back to the fore. A more recent example of this is Penderecki’s Fourth String Quartet from 2016.
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020) – First string quartet (1960)
Performers: Tale Quartet
CD: BIS
Witold Lutosławski (1913-1994) – String Quartet (1964)
Introductory Movement, 2. Main movement
Performers: LaSalle Quartet
CD: DGG
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020) – Second string quartet (1968)
Performers: Tale Quartet
CD: BIS
Wolfgang Rihm (*1952) – First string quartet, opus 2 (1970)
Performers: Minguet Quartet
CD: col legno
Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-2020) – Fourth String Quartet (2016)
Andante, 2. Vivo – Pesante -Vivo – Pesante – Scherzando – Pesante – Molto meno mosso – Andante – Allegro giocoso – Allegretto – Poco meno mosso, calmo
Performers: Meccore String Quartet
CD: Capriccio
