Langsamer Satz for String Quartet is a composition by Webern, written when he was 22 years old. At that time, he was a student at the University of Vienna, studying composition under Schoenberg. However, this piece does not utilize the twelve-tone technique; instead, it exhibits influences from composers like Brahms and Mahler. During this period, Webern was involved in a relationship with his cousin Wilhelmine Mörtl, who later became his wife, and they enjoyed traveling together. It was a very happy time for him. This work is romantic and dramatic, and anyone who appreciates Brahms’ chamber music is likely to love it.
We decided to create the score for this composition because we wanted to have user-friendly parts for our performance. The relationships between the different parts in this piece are complex, so it is necessary to understand the interplay through the score before performing it. We attempted to express this understanding of relationships through cue notes in the parts note as much as possible. In fact, we were able to perform it with minimal reliance on the score itself. However, due to the inclusion of more cue notes than usual, it may appear slightly cluttered.