String Quartet No. 2

String Quartet No. 2 was inspired by the poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Its four movements, although interrelated, center on the idea of constant change. Their mutual relationship is an old Greek tune that is employed throughout the composition. Appearing mostly in the solo part, the tune is transformed in many ways and dispersed among the string instruments.

In the last movement, echoes of the Funeral March by Chopin captures the mood of the entire composition. Movements I, II, and IV are somber in character, dramatic and lyrical. Movement III is jubilant, active, and highly rhythmic. It is a kind of catharsis for the mood of the other movements.

This quartet is a new version of a 1979 work that was premiered at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York the same year.