John Alden Carpenter's String Quartet (1927), the composer's only foray into the genre, is also one of the last chamber works Carpenter wrote. The Quartet is in a Romantic vein, full of rich melodies and lush harmonies; indeed, it strains against its chamber instrumentation, crying out for a full orchestral treatment. Like much of Carpenter's work from the 1920s, the Quartet has a balletic, subtly jazzy feel. Though the String Quartet was enthusiastically received at its Library of Congress premiere in 1928, it has yet to gain a berth in the American chamber music repertoire.

© All Music Guide