Chamber music, surely the most refined of all musical forms, is unique in that it obliges those who perform it to develop teamwork, modesty, and an ability to share and to make concessions. A string quartet is the most sophisticated and well-balanced of them all, a kind of intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual ideal for all concerned: the composer, the performers, and the audience.

Must a great quartet strive above all to blend its voices, to create the impression of a sixteen-stringed instrument, or should each instrument retain an individual identity? That is the question that each of the great ensembles presented in this book has answered in its own, singular way.

An extraordinary CD containing over four hours of music and offering a panorama of over 50 different quartets comes with the book.

Jean-Michel Molkhou, a specialist on the topic, presents 120 great twentieth century string quartets. The book comes with a CD with over four hours of music from more than 50 different ensembles playing pieces that show off their unique sound and qualities.