The string quartet is undoubtedly one of the main musical genres. Since its inception in the 18th century, all great musicians have approached it as a field of experimentation in which to approach and test their most advanced musical ideas. And it is undoubtedly this reason that has made it, like no other musical genre, remain valid to this day.

To date, there is no work in Spanish that, beyond being an introduction, offers a history of this key musical genre. This book aspires to fill that void and tell that story, but not as a mere inventory of works or a simple accumulation of data, but rather by posing it from the musical analysis, pointing out what are the aesthetic premises on which it is founded or how it has gone evolving over time. It includes the reproduction and commentary of numerous fragments of works, from Haydn's quartets or Beethoven's Op. 132 to the extreme sounds of Lachenmann (Great Torso) or Stockhausen (Helikopter-Quartett). A text that wants to become an obligatory reference in the musical bibliography in Spanish, as well as an essential consultation both for students and teachers of Musicology and for fans in general.