String Quartet in E-flat major (Sibelius)

The String Quartet in E-flat major, JS 184, is a four-movement chamber piece for two violins, viola, and cello written in June 1885 by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It is the first of Sibelius's four string quartets. The quartet appears in the same sketchbook as two other brief pieces for string quartet: first, the Molto moderato – Scherzo (JS 134), which is Sibelius's earliest piece in the genre; and second, a fragmentary [Scherzo] in B minor (without catalogue marking; completed by Kalevi Aho).

Structure
The E-flat major quartet is in four movements, as follows: 1. Allegro

2. Andante molto

3. Scherzo. Allegretto

4. Vivace

The piece was published posthumously in 1991 by Fazer Music.

Discography
The Sibelius Academy Quartet made the world premiere studio recording of the E-flat major quartet for Finlandia in 1988. The table below lists this and other commercially available recordings:

Notes, references, and sources

 * Notes


 * References


 * Sources