The String Quartet No. 4 in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2, was composed by
Felix Mendelssohn in 1837, and revised in 1839.
This work was premièred on 29 October 1837 at Leipzig with great success, and published as a full score in 1840. The piece is part of the Op. 44 set of 3 string quartets that Mendelssohn dedicated to the
Crown Prince of Sweden. While Mendelssohn's
first and
second quartet were written under the influence of
Beethoven, Op.44 exhibits a clear sprouting of the composer's originality in style.
A typical performance just under 30 minutes.