The String Quartet in G minor (op. 10) is the only string quartet by Claude Debussy.

Debussy composed the work in 1893 at the age of 31. He was already a highly regarded composer in France at the time, particularly after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1884. However, his characteristic musical language did not develop until the same time that he composed the String Quartet, which was followed a year later by the Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, considered one of his major works.

Debussy's composition was the first time that he noticeably broke away from the compositional guidelines of Viennese Classicism, which characterized the string quartet genre, without completely abandoning them. Various musical influences of the curious Debussy can also be traced in his work on the basis of his autobiographical information, such as his interest in contemporary Russian and German compositions, Javanese gamelan music, pentatonicism and other musical influences outside his immediate environment.

In his quest for a symbiosis of different musical styles, he was inspired by Edvard Grieg, in particular his string quartet, and the cyclical concept of his work with a recurring motif in all movements is reminiscent of the music of César Franck. Although the quartet is classically conceived in four movements, the arrangement of movements two and three (Scherzo and a slow Andantino) is unusual. The movement titles are:

• Animé et très décidé

• Assez vif et bien rythmé

• Andantino, doucement expressif

• Très modéré - Très mouvementé et avec passion

The work was premiered by the Ysaÿe Quartet in Paris on December 29, 1893.

Reception

The quartet received a mixed reception from contemporary audiences and was sometimes sharply attacked by traditionalist critics. Today, it is considered a milestone in Debussy's oeuvre and influenced later compositions in this genre in particular, including the string quartets by Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Maurice Ravel.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quartet_(Debussy)