I would like to add some works to Daves extensive recommendations:

Simpsons quartet cycle is in my opinion one of the finest of this century,
especially the later quartets starting with no.10.  I would also recommend
the two string quintets and the piano trio!  I also want to recommend the
three quartets by Britten.  For me they are essential British quartets.
I think they are among Brittens best works and I recommend strongly to
give them a listen (I have a 3xCD in the EMI British composers series
with all works for quartet by Britten, but I think there are several other
recordings of these)!  Some more recent works I would recommend are the 4
quartets by Hugh Wood on Conifer (done by the Chilingirian Quartet - I
think), quartets 3-5 by John MaCabe just released by Hyperion and the 5
quartets by Michael Tippett (complete set by the Lindsays on ASV).  A nice
series of quartets, often compared to Shostakovich, are the 13 quartets by
Elisabeth Maconchy that are/were available on 3 CDs on Unicorn Kanchana.
Andrzei Panufnik (born in Poland, but mostly regarded as British) wrote 3
fine string quartets and 2 sextets that were released by Conifer (again the
Chilingirian Quartet).  For the more adventurous there are the quartets by
Brian Ferneyhough (Arditi Quartet, Auvidis Montaigne) and Steve Martland
(Patrol, on Catalyst).  With Daves recommendation of the Rubbra and Moeran
works I can only agree, masterful works!

Witold Lutoslawski wrote just one string quartet (1964) but I would regard
it as one of his finest works!  To be in line with the beginning of this
thread I would not recommend the recording by the Kronos but rather the
recording by the Arditi quartet on Avidis Montaigne.  If you get this disc
you will also have 2 excellent works for string quartet written by Gyorgy
Kurtag: the Quartetto per archi op.1 and the Hommage a Mihaly Andras
op.13.  A must I think is Gyorgy Ligetis 2nd quartet, you will find in
several recordings (I have the LaSalle Quartet on DG).  Another Hungarian
to check out is Zoltan Kodaly, whose 2 string quartets - especially the
first one - are quite impressive (Kontra Quartet on BIS).

Of French composers I would like to mention Henri Dutilleux, Ianis Xenakis
and Pascal Dusapin.  Dutilleux only quartet (Ainsi la nuit) is a true
masterpiece and has been nicely recorded by the Arditis (again on Auvidis
Montaigne - I think the Arditi quartet edition on this label is quite
essential for anybody interested in 20th century string quartets!).  This
CD couples the Dutilleux with the second and third quartet by Dusapin, also
two fine works!  Xenakis music is *a bit* more complicated but nevertheless
I would heartly recommend the 2xCD with his woks (quartets and other
chamber music) again by the Arditis on Auvidis!

Then there is the obvious recommendation of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern.
For me these are essential and there are quite many recordings of the
individual works.  There has been a box by the LaSalle Quartet DG featuring
most of the string quartet works by these 3 which was quite excellent. Some
other works I find essential are the 2 quartets by K.A. Hartmann (CPO), the
5 quartets by H.W. Henze (Wergo, Arditi Quartet), the 5 by Boris Blacher
(Edition Abseits, Petersen Quartet), 7 by Paul Dessau (CPO) and the 8 by
Ernst Krenek (MDG).  Paul Hindemiths 7 quartets are also not bad (complete
set by CPO) and I would also reommend his 2 string trios (CPO).  Quite
interesting chamber music wrote Hans Eisler, among these one string
quartet.  The 2 CDs on Accord with the chamber works (nonets, sextets, the
quartet and others) are very nice!  Mauricio Kagel wrote 3 quartets that
are worth a try (again the Arditis on Auvidis).

The name of Vagn Holmboe has already been mentioned.  He wrote some 20
numbered quartets (and another handfull of unnumbered ones) which are
currently being recorded by the Kontra quartet on DaCapo.  Quartets 1-12
are already released.  Jon Leifs from Island wrote 3 string quartets that
are truely remarkable (BIS, Yggdrasil Quartet).  Absolutely reommended are
also the 3 quartets by Peteris Vasks (Conifer), Per Norgards 6 string
quartets (Kontrapunkt) and the 3 by Harald Saeverud (Simax).

 From Russia I have to mention Alfred Schnittke, who wrote 4 quartets
(Nonesuch, Kronos - yes I think here they do very well!, or BIS with the
Tale quartet, quartets 1-3 only).  Sofia Gubaidulina 3 quartets are also
impressive (CPO) as is her string trio.  If you can find it, there was a
CD on Conifer done by the Cilingrians with the few string quartet works
written by Stravinski.  This is a very nice CD, which in addition has
quartets by Rolavets, Firsova and Smirnov!

I want to finish with some Americans.  George Crumbs Black Angels is sort
of famous and one should listen to this, at least once.  I have a Vox Box
available called *Modern American String Quartets*, which had Black Angels
and works by Cage, Hiller, Wolpe and others and I think this would be a
nice introduction to 20th century quartets from the US.  Quite essential
are the 5 quartets by Elliot Carter (there was a recording of 1-4 by the
Juliard Quartet on Sony, and no. 5 is on a Auvidis Montaigne disc).
Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote a fine series of quartets (17) which are all
recorded on Marco Polo and finally there is a remarkable CD on ASV with the
3 string quartets by Alberto Ginastera.

Achim Breiling