The string quartets of Béla Bartók occupy a central position in the classical repertoire of the twentieth century. Not only are they a milestone in the evolution of the quartet literature, but – along with those by Haydn and Beethoven – they provide an overview of their composer’s output at all the main junctures of his career. The First Quartet is a convincing amalgam of influences, notably Strauss and Debussy, the Second Quartet more introspective, while the Third and Fourth Quartets contain the most ‘difficult’ music of the six. The Fifth is the most approachable, while the Sixth is permeated by a sense of dread and resignation at the approach of World War Two. These masterpieces truly offer the range and depth of a lifetime’s creative experience.