Tippett's String Quartet No. 4 draws upon Beethoven with its return to the four-movement structure, but with the exception of the order of the movements. It is more closely related to Tippett's first quartet with slow movement introduction, a sonata-allegro, principal slow movement, and palindrome final movement. The principal themes emerge from the opening thematic ideas in the slow movement. The sonata-allegro presents three expositions, each having a first and second subject, followed by codettas. Presenting newer versions of the initial themes of the first movement, the third movement evolves into lyricism in all four instruments. In the finale, Tippett introduces a slow theme at the center of the palindrome that leads into the three pairs of the allegro material proceeding in reverse order.



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