Quatuor à cordes n°3 Op. 19

Absil’s String Quartet No. 3, Op. 19, completed in 1935, represents a further development of the innovations he explored in his second quartet. It is a more expansive work, approximately 22 minutes long, divided into three substantial movements​.

In this quartet, Absil achieves a synthesis of complexity and clarity: it features the advanced harmonic techniques of his earlier chamber pieces, but also a greater breadth of expression and formal balance. The first movement opens Adagio – Allegro moderato, beginning with a slow, mysterious introduction. The instruments enter one by one with a motif built on the intervals of a tritone and minor second, creating an austere, anticipatory atmosphere. As the tempo picks up to Allegro, the movement launches into a sonata-like structure. The main themes are sharply contrasted: one is a driving, syncopated figure that passes around the quartet, while the second theme is more cantabile, introduced by the cello in a lower register with warm, modal inflections. Absil’s harmonic language here is densely chromatic and at times freely atonal, yet he skillfully uses the classical form to give the listener signposts – for example, he marks the start of the development section with a clear fugato treatment of the first theme, and the recapitulation by a harmonic “resolution” where the second theme returns in a near-tonal guise. The polyphonic writing is intricate; Absil, a professor of counterpoint, ensures all four voices are in constant interplay. The second movement serves as a kind of scherzo and slow movement combined. It begins Vivace with a scherzo section that has a sprightly, if somewhat sarcastic, character – offbeat accents, sudden dynamic shifts, and swirling scalar figures give it an acerbic wit reminiscent of Shostakovich’s later quartets (though Shostakovich’s were yet to be written).

Midway, the music transitions to a Lento episode: a soulful viola melody emerges over hushed tremolos in the other strings. The quartet’s sound here becomes haunting and intimate, showcasing Absil’s lyrical side despite the pervasive dissonances. After this reflective interlude, the vivacious scherzo material resumes briefly to close the movement with a brisk finish. The finale is marked Alla fuga, ma giocoso – indeed, Absil writes a playful fugue. The subject of the fugue is light and rhythmic, almost dance-like, and it is stated in turn by second violin, viola, first violin, and cello. As the movement unfolds, the strict fugal texture loosens into a freer development; fragments of the subject are treated in inversion and augmentation, while episodes of folk-like melody shine through (one such episode features a drone and a pentatonic-sounding tune, possibly inspired by Central European folk music). Despite the learned contrapuntal basis, the overall spirit is buoyant and humorous, a deliberate relief after the intensity of the earlier movements. The quartet concludes in a brilliant coda: the fugue subject is transformed into a triumphant, almost tonal cadence (the final chord even outlines an E-major triad, a rare straightforward consonance in the work). This ending on a radiant chord might be Absil’s nod to tradition – resolving the tension of the quartet in a satisfying way for the listener.

Contextually, the third string quartet was composed at a time when Absil had firmly established his new stylistic voice. By 1935, he had adopted polymodal and polytonal techniques fully, and this quartet is one of the first works where he seems entirely comfortable and expansive with them. It followed on the heels of Quartet No. 2 (1934) and Absil treated it as a companion piece but with greater scope. Possibly it was intended for a competition or as a commission by a patron; intriguingly, some records suggest it was submitted to the Coolidge Prize in the United States (sponsored by Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge for chamber music), though it did not win. The first known performance took place in 1937 in Brussels, delayed likely by the difficulty of finding players who could handle its challenges. The Quatuor de Bruxelles gave that premiere, and according to contemporary reports, the audience was struck by the quartet’s complexity and energy. Maurice Ysaÿe (the brother of violinist Eugène Ysaÿe) was present and allegedly commended Absil on “writing string quartets that speak our modern language.” During World War II, performances of this quartet were rare, but the work did quietly influence a younger generation of Belgian composers who studied Absil’s scores. After the war, Absil’s quartets were occasionally broadcast on radio, keeping them in the public ear.

In modern times, Quartet No. 3 has seen a slight revival along with Absil’s other chamber works. The 1960s Danel Quartet (predecessor to the current quartet of that name) performed it in a cycle of Belgian quartets, and a recording of that live performance survives in the Belgian Radio archives. Commentators often compare Absil’s third quartet to contemporary works like Bartók’s Fourth Quartet (1928) or Milhaud’s quartets, noting parallels in rhythmic drive and harmonic experimentation. There is general agreement that Absil’s String Quartet No. 3 is among his finest chamber compositions, representing the culmination of his quartet-writing in the 1930s (he would write a fourth quartet in 1941, but by then his style had shifted again). As of 2025, there is no commercial recording solely dedicated to it, but ensembles with an interest in 20th-century repertoire have included it in reading sessions and academic festivals. For instance, in 2018 the European Chamber Music Academy had a workshop on rarely played quartets where Absil’s Op. 19 was studied, and students were fascinated by its blend of rigor and wit. The piece tests the ensemble’s cohesion with its demanding counterpoint and tuning (the polytonal sections require keen intonation). Yet when executed well, it carries a powerful impact, offering a window into the fertile period of pre-war European modernism from a Belgian perspective. In summary, the String Quartet No. 3, Op. 19 stands as a significant work in Absil’s catalog – ambitious in design, modern in language, and ultimately rewarding in its synthesis of intellectual and expressive elements