The five strings quartets by Jörg Widmann are compact studies, like those of his teacher Wolfgang Rihm. Performed individually, the focus is on the respective central technical and aesthetic idea. Performed as a cycle, however, they get closer to the well-known classical multi-movement form. The theme of the first string quartet is the quintessential beginning: in an introduction, it takes some time for the strained sounds to turn into harmonics. Then it is the viola, the 'poor cousin' in the string quartet literature, which takes up and defines the musical work. The work concludes with a demanding eight-part double-stopping polyphony of all instruments.