This piece is a great example of the vivid imagery that just four instruments in a quartet can conjure. The first movement of this piece is upbeat, orderly, and fast-paced. The three types of string instruments do a great job covering a wide range of registers. The style reminds me of baroque music such as Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. The “conversation” which the piece represents starts off friendly and with natural flow.  The second movement has an ABA structure. In the B section, one high-pitched voice stands out among the four instruments. This leads me to envision one speaker in the conversation making a drawn-out, passionate argument. The repeated A sections  are warm and harmonious, providing a background of commentary and discussion from which the B section stands out.

In contrast to the previous sections, the third movement is slow and melancholic. The abrupt change from the upbeat style of the first two movements indicates that the topic of the conversation has changed, possibly to the subject of death. The key remains major, but the soft dynamics and slow tempo reinforce the grave subject at hand. In the final movement, the quartet returns to its former upbeat and fast-paced style. The upper registers drive the melody, while the lower registers drive the harmony. The conversation drives towards a definitive and passionate conclusion, with all voices partaking. The end of the fourth movement has a light, repeated melody with interspersed silences. This makes me envision the vigorous conversation and debate ending with a well-timed joke.