The slow introduction to the final movement of my Seventeenth Quartet is essentially a reworking of the introduction to the opening movement.  It preserves at 0:49 a dissonance which appeared in the 1979 trio version of the music, but which I smoothed out in the first movement of the present work.  The finale proper, Allegro Scherzando, originated in 1988-89 with the sketch of the passage at 8:04 - 8:08, and grew out of it largely in back-formation.  The notion of reiterating the first movement introduction was similarly a back-formation; the five-note scale principal motif of the Allegro Scherzando is closely related to the theme of the introduction, but to the best of my memory the finale began life independently and the relationship was fortuitous.

The Seventeenth Quartet was completed on the Moscow Metro on the evening of August 17th, 1991 (with minor revisions in 2014 and 2018), and is dedicated to my sister Ruth, the intended recipient of the abortive String Trio of 1979 out of which it grew.

A.M.Bell - String Quartet No. 17 (IV - Finale:  Lento - Allegro Scherzando)

Born 1965, lifelong lover of music.  Have been picking out little tunes from 5, and attempting seriously to compose since 12.  Generally (although not exclusively) happiest writing in the manner of late-18thC/early 19thC, but very happy to listen to pretty nearly any music.  String quartets a speciality, although not entirely sure why.  No plans to give up the day job (secondary school Support for Learning Assistant) or the weekend job (Choirmaster at St. Magnus's Cathedral, Kirkwall).

A.M.Bell - String Quartet No. 17 (IV - Finale: Lento - Allegro Scherzando)

Michael Bell