String Quartet No. 5

Described by its composer as a “fantasia,” Carl Vine’s dramatic String Quartet No. 5 (2007) contains six clear sections, but like much of his music is cast in one continuous movement. There is some repetition and development of material throughout the 22-minute work (which has been recorded by the Goldner String Quartet on ABC Classics), but this is less important to its structure than the vivid musical contrasts that delineate its formal arc.