About the creation

Erich Walter Sternberg wrote his first two String Quartets in 1924. Its spiritual and musical canter is the Jewish folksong sung by a low voice in the last movement. The entire thematic material of the work is dominated by the spiritual contents and the musical motives of this song, the original Yiddish. The simple folksong has a deep meaning, and the work thus opens in almost mystical vein, with a theme derived from the motives of the song. The second movement, of a meditative character, introduces an episode based on the traditional "Hear, O Israel" prayer, which returns in the concluding part of the Finale. The third movement opens pathetically, but the mystical mood soon returns and prepares the song. A passionate fugal section leads to the great conclusion, in which the prayer tune plays a dominating role. The Quartet was revised by the composer in 1952 and accepted by the International Music Council of UNESCO for its recording program.