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Chamber music by difficulty

String quartets

39 pieces, rated by the hardest part

String quartets by difficulty

Two violins, viola and cello: the classic chamber group, and the one with the most music to choose from. Start low on the list for a first reading with new people; the harder quartets reward a group that meets regularly.

Approachable

4 pieces

Readable by most amateur players; good for a first session together.

Haydn · String Quartet in B-flat, Op. 1 No. 1 “La chasse”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Hoffstetter · String Quartet in F, Op. 3 No. 5 (with the “Haydn” Serenade)

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mozart · Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525 Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello. Also played with double bass.

Puccini · Crisantemi

For 2 violins, viola and cello. Also for string orchestra.

Intermediate

8 pieces

Needs a confident amateur on every part, and some practice beforehand.

Dvořák · Cypresses

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Haydn · String Quartet in G, Op. 76 No. 1

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Haydn · String Quartet in C, Op. 76 No. 3 “Emperor” Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Haydn · String Quartet in B-flat, Op. 76 No. 4 “Sunrise”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Haydn · String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 33 No. 2 “The Joke”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mozart · Divertimento in D, K. 136

For 2 violins, viola and cello. Also for string orchestra.

Mozart · String Quartet in B-flat, K. 458 “Hunt”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Purcell · Chacony in G minor

For 2 violins, viola and cello. Also for string orchestra.

Advanced

15 pieces

Standard repertoire with real technical demands. Prepare your part.

Barber · String Quartet, Op. 11 (with the Adagio)

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Beethoven · String Quartet in F, Op. 18 No. 1

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Beethoven · String Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Borodin · String Quartet No. 2 in D Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Dvořák · String Quartet in F, Op. 96 “American” Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Haydn · String Quartet in D, Op. 64 No. 5 “The Lark”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mendelssohn · String Quartet in D, Op. 44 No. 1

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mozart · String Quartet in G, K. 387

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mozart · String Quartet in D minor, K. 421

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mozart · String Quartet in C, K. 465 “Dissonance”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Schubert · String Quartet in A minor, D. 804 “Rosamunde”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Schumann · String Quartet in A, Op. 41 No. 3

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Shostakovich · String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110 Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Tchaikovsky · String Quartet No. 1 in D, Op. 11

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Wolf · Italian Serenade

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Very demanding

12 pieces

Conservatory or professional level for at least one part.

Bartók · String Quartet No. 4

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Beethoven · String Quartet in F, Op. 59 No. 1 “Razumovsky”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Beethoven · String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 “Serioso”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Beethoven · String Quartet in C-sharp minor, Op. 131

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Brahms · String Quartet in C minor, Op. 51 No. 1

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Debussy · String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Grieg · String Quartet in G minor, Op. 27

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Janáček · String Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Mendelssohn · String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Ravel · String Quartet in F Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Schubert · String Quartet in D minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden” Part by part, tips →

For 2 violins, viola and cello

Smetana · String Quartet No. 1 “From My Life”

For 2 violins, viola and cello

How we rate difficulty

Each piece is rated by its hardest part, so a trio with an easy cello part and a very hard piano part counts as very demanding. Pieces with a link have their own page, with a level for each part and tips for reading it together. It’s our own rough guide; see the full list to filter by instrument and level together.

Find people to play them with

Add the pieces you’d like to play to your music profile, and say whether it’s just for fun or for a performance. We’ll look for players who want the same pieces at the same level. See also our notes on meeting safely.