Michael Tippett’s Fifth String Quartet

Schuttenhelm provides a detailed account of the events leading up to and through the quartet’s compositional process, as well as a brief summary of its reception history. In addition to a comprehensive analysis of the entire quartet, the volume also takes into account Tippett’s preliminary attempts for the work and measures the significance its subsequent removal had upon the overall design. Evidence of an altered ending is also shown, together with an assessment of how this affected the proportions of the work. This commentary benefits from the author’s extensive experience working with Tippett’s letters, sketchbooks, and manuscripts.