String Quartet in E Minor

It might be tempting to describe this one and only string quartet by Verdi as operatic— and there are indeed passing moments that recall motifs from his stage works: Aida in the first movement and Macbeth in the third. But the remarkable thing about the piece is how different it is from his theatrical writing, and how completely it masters the formalities of chamber music—with a finesse that acknowledges the Viennese classical tradition of Haydn and Mozart but in an Italian-sounding way that’s Verdi’s own. Dating from 1873, when he was nearly 60 and had time on his hands between opera productions, he dismissed the quartet as a trifle composed for "mere amusement". But its crafted perfection and cultivated beauty suggest that he nonetheless approached the writing with great care. There are four movements: an opening “Allegro” in classical sonata form; an “Andantino” based on a Haydn-like minuet; a fiercely energised scherzo (“Prestissimo”) with a beguiling cello tune in the trio; and an ingeniously clever concluding fugue (“Scherzo fuga”).