String Quartet in E minor, Op. 83

While Edward Elgar (1857-1934) made his attempt at writing a string quartet in 1907, he put his work aside when embarking on his SYMPHONY No. 1, where he actually applied themes he had written for the quartet. Elgar did not make another attempt until 1918, after he and Lady Elgar moved to the peaceful countryside Brinkwells cottage, where he finally completed is wholly new STRING QUARTET in E minor, Op. 83. He also composed his other two great chamber works, the VIOLIN SONATA in E minor, Op. 82 and the PIANO QUINTET in A minor, Op. 84, in that same year, again stopping his work on the string quartet each time to do so. These three chamber works and his CELLO CONCERTO in E minor, Op. 85, written in 1919, were Elgar's last major works, though he did survive another 15 years after writing them. While not programmatic, Lady Elgar said of one of the quartet's movements that it "captured sunshine" and likened another to the "galloping of stallions." Reprint edition of the parts.