String Quartet No. 2 "Kreutzer Sonata"

Janacek's Second String Quartet (1928) takes its name from Tolstoy's novella inspired by the Beethoven sonata, but its biographical subtext is Janacek's own passionate late-life obsession with the married Kamila Stosslova. The quartet is his most emotionally extreme chamber work: violent outbursts and whimpering fragility alternate within phrases; the viola and cello often sustain against stinging violin attacks that seem to embody jealousy made audible. Written by a 74-year-old composer in a state of emotional crisis, it belongs with the greatest love testaments in all chamber music. Its five compressed movements require extraordinary technical command and emotional commitment to realize fully.