87. Main Evening Concert

Weinberg’s 11th is light-hearted, quizzical, at times downright weird, playing with the idea of a string quartet in an Adagio made up of long exquisite solos.It was dedicated to his daughter, perhaps explaining its gentle, transparent texture. His 12th is played without a break, each movement marked attacca. Apart from the lively Presto third movement, almost the entire quartet is played piano. There are hints of Bartók, inevitable references to his more famous colleague, while the Finale is Weinberg’s version of a Baroque passacaglia. Like many of his later Quartets, it ends with a question mark.