String Quartet No. 5, Sz. 102, Sz. 102

Bartok's Fifth String Quartet (1934) occupies the center of his six-quartet cycle and represents the fullest flowering of his mature style. Its five-movement arch form is perfectly symmetrical: the outer Allegros bracket a central Andante, with two scherzos on either side that carry his characteristic Bulgarian rhythms and night music atmospheres. The work demonstrates Bartok's complete mastery of chromatic counterpoint, complex polyrhythm, and extended string techniques, including pizzicato glissandos and sul ponticello effects that had rarely appeared in chamber music. Commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation and premiered by the Kolisch Quartet in 1935, it demands four players of the highest caliber.