Mirela Mercean-Țârc
This study explores the evolution of the string quartet within the prestigious school of composition at the “Gheorghe Dima” National Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca. Spanning nearly a century, the genre’s trajectory moved from sporadic representation in the early 1900s to a period of rapid, “fulminant” development following the 1950s. While the broader catalog includes 58 works, this research focuses specifically on 30 string quartets, setting aside the remaining 28 due to their diverse instrumental configurations. The analysis identifies three distinct evolutionary stages. First stage is represented by the Neoclassicism style, led by figures such as Sigismund Toduță and Cornel Țăranu (1936-1960) This period focused on neoclassical styles is rooted in Romanian folk-inspired diatonic modalism. In the Avant-Garde stage (1968–1980), composers including Vasile Herman, Ede Terényi, Valentin Timaru, and Hans Peter Türk shifted their options toward serial-dodecaphonic languages. This period embraced cutting-edge techniques such as integral serialism, pointillism, aleatoric music, and graphic notation, alongside innovative timbral effects and extended instrumental techniques. The third period of Synthesis (1990–Present) is represented by quartets of the composers Adrian Pop, Dora Cojocaru, Iulia Cibișescu, Ionică Pop, and Adrian Borza. This contemporary stage functions as a stylistic synthesis. It utilizes the full spectrum of predecessor techniques—ranging from pentatonic folk roots to jazz-inspired atonal designs—serving purely aesthetic and semantic goals. The resulting works often feature polystylistic textures, polymorphic structures, and a free approach to musical form. Given the depth of the material, the research is presented in three parts: Part I covers the first Neoclassical stage, Part II covers the second stage. Avantgarde (both in the Communist era), and Part II focuses on the third stage (the transition to democracy).