The String Quartet

The string quartets performed in concerthalls and salons in Spain, in the second half of the 19th century, were for the greater part of German origin. This changed with the generation of composers born around 1850, among whom Ruperto Chapí and Tomás Bretón. Yet, only after 1900, the string quartet would win prestige again in Spain. Ruperto Chapí’s string quartets date from the last years of his career, and they were published after 1905. Each of them have an elegante, rather Spanish coloured sound, with references to melodies from the  Zarzuelas.