Seven of the Most Popular String Quartet Videos on YouTube

 by Emily E. Hogstad  April 13th, 2026

Have you ever wondered what the most popular string quartets are?

There’s no easy objective way to answer that question, but one way to try is by looking at which YouTube videos of string quartet performances have garnered the most views over the past twenty years of YouTube’s existence.

We searched for string quartets, sorted by most viewed, and here’s what we found.

But first, a few caveats…

• If a video only consisted of audio with a static image or a score, we didn’t count it. We wanted to focus on video performances today, not audio.
• We didn’t count electric violin repertoire; we stuck with acoustic instruments.
• We also didn’t count pop music rearranged for string quartet. The arrangements of pop songs that are played on Bridgerton are great fun, but today we wanted to focus on traditional repertoire.

So with all that said, here in reverse countdown order are seven of the most popular string quartet videos on YouTube, as of early 2026.

We promise you, there are some surprises.

7. Ravel String Quartet  

Ravel was just 28 years old when he wrote his impeccably crafted string quartet.

The second movement is a fiery scherzo featuring bursts of pizzicato fireworks. (That’s the movement featured in this particular video.)

Maurice Ravel in 1925

Its fascinating colour and texture also foreshadow how Ravel’s genius for orchestration would develop over the course of his career.

The quartet was not an immediate success at its premiere. Critics were lukewarm, noting the debt it owed to Claude Debussy’s string quartet from ten years earlier, and fretting about its “vagueness of significance, incoherence, and weird harmonic eccentricities.”

However, it kept being programmed and played, and today it is widely considered one of the great string quartets of the twentieth century.

According to the YouTube heat map, the most popular part of this video is the first few seconds. That’s understandable, since the opening contains that unforgettable plucky theme.

6. Schubert String Quartet No. 14   

In 1824, Franz Schubert was 27 years old and staring down the barrel of his own mortality. Two years earlier, he had contracted syphilis, and the illness was haunting his thoughts and music.

One of the pieces born out of his anxiety was “Death and the Maiden” quartet, one of the most searing works in the entire chamber repertoire.

Franz Schubert

The quartet’s dramatic nickname comes from the second movement, where Schubert transforms the melody of his earlier song “Der Tod und das Mädchen” (Death and the Maiden) into a set of variations.

The outer movements rage with a stormy intensity, while the slow movement contains one of the most moving meditations on death in all of classical music.

The quartet was put away for two years after it was written. Its premiere was at a private home in 1826. It wasn’t published until after Schubert died. It wasn’t composed for money or fame; it was composed simply because Schubert had to express himself.

Today, it resonates with listeners for its blend of despair and defiance.

5. Stockhausen “Helicopter String Quartet”   

Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like: a piece written for string quartet being played in four helicopters.

Karlheinz Stockhausen was one of the most polarising composers of the twentieth century, and works like his Helicopter String Quartet are why.

Karlheinz Stockhausen

Conceived in 1993 as part of his epic seven-opera cycle Licht, the piece consists of four string quartet members performing in four separate helicopters. They listen to each other via headphones, and the piece is mixed for the audience, who watch live from an auditorium.

Stockhausen dreamed of making the tremolo sounds resemble the whirring of the blades.

As you can imagine, the piece is incredibly expensive to mount. It is also objectively unhinged.

However, that quality clearly makes it perfect for a YouTube video. It really is one of those things that you have to see to believe.

4. Glass String Quartet No. 3, “Mishima”  

Philip Glass is one of the most famous living composers. His calling card is his propulsive minimalist style.

His third string quartet began life as music for Paul Schrader’s 1985 film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, a biopic of the Japanese author Yukio Mishima.

Philip Glass

Glass arranged six movements from the film score into a quartet, each movement brief and tightly structured.

The music alternates between shimmering stillness and driving pulse.

Although the music is (by design) repetitive, it’s also deeply, strangely touching.

Interestingly, according to the YouTube heat map of where people have rewound to, there is no spike anywhere. Listeners take the movement in as a whole.

3. Beethoven String Quartet Op. 59, No.1, “Razumovsky”   

When Count Andrey Razumovsky, the Russian ambassador to Vienna, commissioned Beethoven to write a set of string quartets in 1806, he couldn’t have begun to imagine the impact the works would have on the history of chamber music.

Beethoven’s three Razumovsky quartets pushed the boundaries of the genteel attitude toward quartets set by Haydn and Mozart, paving the way for the Romantic Era by creating music that was symphonic in both scale and emotional impact.

Christian Honeman: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1803 (Beethovenhaus Bonn)

The first of the set, Op. 59 No. 1, is a massive emotional journey. Like the others in the set, it is so large and so complicated that it takes professional musicians to play (or very talented, devoted amateurs with lots and lots of rehearsal time).

Early audiences were baffled by what they heard. Violinist Ignaz Schuppanzigh’s quartet, who premiered the quartets, reportedly struggled to get the works under their fingers.

According to legend, when he heard about Schuppanzigh’s complaints, Beethoven reportedly said, “Does he really believe that I think about his silly fiddle when the muse strikes me to compose?”

That defiant spirit clearly still speaks to modern audiences.

2. Haydn String Quartet No. 62; Op. 76, No. 3, “Emperor”   

Joseph Haydn is called the “father of the string quartet” for a reason: he wrote some of the first string quartets, and over the course of his career, composed nearly seventy of them.

The Op. 76, No. 3 in C major, nicknamed the “Emperor”, is number 62. It contains one of the most famous examples of theme and variations in classical music history.

Thomas Hardy: Franz Joseph Haydn, ca. 1791 (London: Royal College of Music Museum of Instruments)

The second movement presents a noble hymnlike melody, with each instrument taking turns “singing” the theme.

Haydn originally wrote it as an anthem in tribute to the Austrian Emperor Francis II. It later became the German national anthem, Deutschlandlied.

The music’s cultural impact, as well as its sheer beauty and importance in the history of the development of the genre, helps explain why it’s at number two on this list.

However, only one work can top the list, and if you’re a classical musician, you knew in your bones this was coming…

1. Pachelbel Canon   

The runaway champion of “the most popular string quartet” on YouTube is Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D.

That said, we acknowledge we’re stretching the definition of string quartet here a bit, since the Pachelbel was written for three violins and basso continuo instead of the modern instrumentation of two violins, viola, and cello.

So if you’re one of the classical musicians who break out in hives when listening to Pachelbel’s Canon, feel free to pretend that Haydn won the countdown!

Johann Pachelbel

The story of this work is wild. It was written in the late seventeenth century, then languished in obscurity for over two hundred years.

It was rediscovered in the early twentieth century and published in 1919, but it only became a staple of the repertoire after a couple of recordings went viral in the late 1960s. People heard it on the radio and lined up outside record shops to buy copies.

The Canon quickly became a staple at weddings and on soundtracks, and although many classical musicians feel it’s overplayed, its popularity simply cannot be denied.

Conclusion

From Pachelbel’s Baroque ground bass to Stockhausen’s midair experiments, the string quartet has proven itself to be endlessly adaptable over centuries.

Taken together, these pieces, written over the course of three hundred years, have attracted millions and millions of YouTube views.

Despite all the handwringing about the future of classical music, the popularity of these performances proves that there will always be something special about what happens when a string quartet sits down to play.

Rainelle Krause has died aged 37. Picture: Alamy

By Hazel Davis

The rising operatic star had just made her Met Opera debut in December.  

American soprano Rainelle Krause has died at the age of 37. Her family have confirmed that she passed away on 17 March after a brief hospital stay. No cause of death has been revealed.

Krause’s death comes just months after her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in December, where she appeared as the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. She had also been due to appear at Santa Fe Opera this summer.

In a statement, Krause’s family described her as, “a brilliant talent defined by grit, fearlessness, curiosity, intelligence, integrity, and resilience,” adding that “onstage, her voice matched the breathtaking power of her spirit. Offstage, she was a loving, caring soul whose vibrant energy lit up everyone around her.”

Soprano Rainelle Krause flawlessly sings Mozart’s ‘Queen of the Night’ aria UPSIDE DOWN

Krause, a Florida-born graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, gained critical acclaim for her mastery of the notoriously tricky demanding Queen of the Night role.   

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She had performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Royal Danish Opera, English National Opera and the Dutch National Opera.

As well as her soaring voice, the coloratura soprano was known for combining her singing with arial acrobatics. Krause has gone viral several time over the last few years for performing the Queen of the Night aria (also known by its German name ‘Der Hölle Rache’) while upside down on aerial silks.

Franz Ignaz Danzi

 by Georg Predota  April 13th, 2026

Wind Quintets at 200

Two hundred years ago, on 13 April 1826, Franz Ignaz Danzi (1763-1826) died in Karlsruhe, aged 62. He had known Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in his youth, had mentored the young Carl Maria von Weber, and had been a contemporary of Ludwig van Beethoven.

Danzi was most famous for his wind quintets, and he composed nine such works between 1820 and 1824. These are genial and gentle works, modest in reach, but beautifully crafted in every detail.

Franz Ignaz Danzi

The wind quintets were written in part to raise the level of musicianship at the court of Karlsruhe. But that’s not the only reason why wind players should know this music. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Danzi’s death, why don’t we explore the wind quintets in a little more detail? 

Beyond the Jolly Exterior

Franz Danzi was described as a plump little man with a rounded head and clever eyes which always seemed good-humoured. Don’t let this jovial description fool you. Franz Danzi was a highly competent musician and composer.

He joined the cello section of the famous Mannheim Orchestra at the age of 15, and performed with them for many years. Two of his early stage works were performed in Munich, and he then married the celebrated singer and pianist Margarethe Marchand.

The couple embarked on a concert tour that lasted several years, and Danzi eventually enjoyed some success as an opera composer. Success as an opera composer generally translated into employment opportunities, and such was the case for Danzi.

He took up a post in Stuttgart in 1807, but resigned in 1812 citing poor health. However, within the same year he accepted the post of Kapellmeister at the court in Karlsruhe. By that time he had been cultivating a close friendship with Carl Maria von Weber, and he was highly supportive of Weber’s quest to promote serious German-language opera.  

The orchestra at Karlsruhe was not in great shape, and the Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung reported in 1817 that Danzi had to stamp the beat with his foot to keep the orchestra together, especially at important entries.

One way of improving the orchestra, especially the wind section, was to compose dedicated wind quintets. The combination of flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon, however, was not new, as this instrumentation had been established by Anton Reicha.

Anton Reicha

Reicha was born in Prague, educated in Bavaria, and later became a French citizen. He was friendly with Ludwig van Beethoven, and counted Franz Liszt, Hector Berlioz, and César Franck among his students. Even Chopin considered studying with him, but ultimately decided otherwise.

He is best known today for his 24 wind quintets, composed in Paris between 1811 and 1820. Most of his later wind quintets were premiered in the foyer of the Théâtre Favart by some of the world’s finest wind soloists. Immediately popular, they were played all over Europe shortly thereafter.   

Reicha’s Mission

In his memoirs, Reicha claimed that his wind quintets filled a void. “At that time, there was a dearth not only of good classical music, but of any good music at all for wind instruments, simply because composers knew little of their technique.”

Since Reicha was a flautist, he systematically explored the possibilities of the wind ensemble and came up with a formal variant that could accommodate a great number of principal themes.

The wind quintets also received commercial interest from music publishers during his lifetime. They appeared with Simrock in Bonn and Cologne, with Boieldieu and Richault in Paris, and with Schott in Mainz.

By some accounts, Franz Danzi started to write wind quintets after the tremendous financial success of Reicha’s first set of works, published in 1817. Since Danzi had a gift for writing flowing melodies and had a connection to publishers, he lavished considerable care on his own wind quintets.  

Modest Yet Masterful

The nine wind quintets by Danzi are dedicated to Reicha and published in groups of three. They display a remarkable unity of form. All of them follow the popular four-movement pattern. Sonata form first movements are followed by song-form seconds, and a minuet that occasionally approaches a scherzo character. These works all concluded with rondo finales.

The Danzi wind quintets are modest in reach, yet beautifully crafted in every detail. Players must have solid basic technique and good intonation. However, they focus primarily on ensemble balance rather than extreme virtuosity. And that makes them very approachable for amateurs and students.

Danzi beautifully blends the colourful combinations of the five instruments, with clever use of timbral contrasts. Frequently, the oboe or flute presents the leading melodies, the horn provides harmonic support, and the bassoon anchors the bass line.

Melodic lines are frequently passed between upper winds, with the horn and bassoon providing harmonic foundation and occasional soloistic moments. Danzi always chooses an instrumental combination that suits the character of the material.

Affectionate Respect

I was not able to find specific contemporary reviews of the Danzi wind quintets, but his compositions were overall praised for their melodic quality and craftsmanship. Since his wind quintets were published shortly after Reicha’s more ambitious sets, they seemed to have been positioned as practical and accessible works.

Danzi, as an orchestral cellist and conductor, brought plenty of practical knowledge to these compositions. Composed in the 1820s when Beethoven and Schubert were pushing boundaries, the wind quintets are looked upon with affectionate respect rather than profound intellectual scrutiny.

Essentially, the wind quintets represent a polished late-Classical sensibility. When compared with Beethoven’s contemporary late string quartets, it becomes obvious that Danzi composed in a courtlier vein, favouring elegant and conversational music-making.

Because of their modest technical demands and a focus on ensemble cohesion, they make excellent teaching and community ensemble pieces. They are regularly performed and frequently recorded. If you are looking for charm and playability without all that Beethovenian intensity, the Danzi wind quintets are an ideal choice

The world of Beethoven is stunning enough

 

The world of Beethoven is stunning enough......but this ladiy's piano playing is out of this world! Piano Concerto No. 4, Op. 58 by Ludwig van Beethoven is beautifully interpreted by Hélène Grimaud with the Orchestre de Paris under Christoph Eschenbach. Her playing is poetic and introspective, blending delicacy with depth, while the orchestra provides a rich, expressive backdrop of lyrical strength.

https://www.ganjingworld.com/s/Q83YNV6xmv

11 of the happiest pieces of classical music ever written

The happiest pieces of classical music ever written. Picture: PA / Chris Christodoulou

By Rosie Pentreath

@rosiepentreath

Jolly and joyful classical music is abundant in the output of many of the world’s greatest composers. Here’s a selection of our favourite cheerful tunes.

There’s nothing quite like music for dictating our moods and lifting the spirits. And classical music’s collection of pieces on the joyful side of things is vast and irrepressible.

The happiest tunes and most cheerful melodies have us smiling, humming and skipping a step – and they can bring us a glimmer of sunny joy, even on the darkest day.

To help you complete your most ebullient playlist, here are your suggestions, and ours, of some of the most uplifting classical music there is.

1. Beethoven: ‘Ode to Joy’ from Symphony No. 9

   The ‘Ode to Joy’ in the final movement of Beethoven’s ‘Choral’ Ninth Symphony is as triumphant as the title suggests. A final outpouring of the most triumphant music, it’s based on German poet Friedrich Schiller’s poem, Ode to Joy, which bids ‘all creature drink of joy!’      b Symphonic joy from start to finish, Russian composer Prokofiev’s 1917, Symphony No. 1 – dubbed ‘Classical’ – is packed with the most uplifting melodies. The final movement especially, marked ‘Vivace’ (which means ‘lively’), practically bursts with happiness.

2. 

   Sergei Prokofiev - Symphony No. 1 'Classical Symphony', op. 25 IV. Finale: Molto Vivace

3. William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1 ‘Afro-American’, third movement

   The third movement of William Grant Still’s ‘Afro-American’ Symphony is subtitled ‘Humour’, and contains joyful blues-y motives, reminiscent of George Gershwin’s infectious ‘I Got Rhythm’. As the movement progresses it swells with hope, and leaves us on a high with its syncopated, rhythmic tunes.

   

   William Grant Still: "Afro-American" Symphony | The Orchestra Now

4. Tchaikovsky: ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ from The Nutcracker

   Classic FM presenter Anne-Marie Minhall has named the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ her happiest piece of classical music. It’s twinkly and cheerful, and challenges you not to smile.

   

   Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky / Nina Kaptsova - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy / 2010

5. Piazzolla: Libertango

   The ‘Libertango’ from Argentine composer, Piazzolla, is infectiously rhythmic and lively. And once the rhythm section establishes its irresistible driving beat it’s got this melody that drips with hope, aspiration and seems to speak of something very exciting just up ahead. A wonderful piece.    

6. Mozart: Piano Sonata No. 17

7. Much of Mozart’s music is gleeful, and this piano concerto is especially joyful. The final movement, especially, positively picks you up, spins you around and puts you down gently – it has to contain the friendliest melodies in all music.

   

   Mozart Piano Sonata no.17 in B-flat K. 570

8. Copland: Hoe Down

   The ‘Hoe Down’ from Copland’s ballet, Rodeo, is frantically cheerful. It skips, jumps and leaps with energy and evokes the most carefree and exhilarating barn dance you’ve ever been to in your life.

   

   NYO-USA Performs Copland’s “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo

9. Gershwin: Walking the Dog

   Walking the Dog is a jazzy piece composed for the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film, Shall We Dance. It originally accompanied the ‘promenade’ scene that saw a dog walked on the deck of a ship, and it may well encourage you to take a turn or two yourself.

   

   George Gershwin | Promenade - Walking The Dog (1937) I Sebastian Manz & Friends

10. Holst: ‘Jupiter’ from The Planets

    The seven planets in Holst’s famous orchestral suite were all given a job to do by the English composer. While Mars is responsible for bringing war, and Venus chases that up with peace; Saturn ushers in grey hairs on us all as the ‘Bringer of Old Age’, it’s Jupiter’s job to bring us jollity. And bring us jollity it really does! Just give it a listen…

    

    Gustav Holst - Jupiter from Planets

11. Clara Schumann: Sonata for Piano, ‘Scherzo’

    Clara Schumann’s mighty G minor Piano Sonata allows itself a sunny interlude in the third movement ‘scherzo’. It jumps into a major key and gives us light, sunny melodies before descending back into its darker, more existential mood for the final movement.

    

    Live Music Month: Isata Kanneh-Mason performs Clara Schumann’s Piano Sonata (III)

12. Vivaldi: ‘Spring’ from Four Seasons

    If the word ‘happy’ translated into a musical melody, we’re pretty sure its the first movement ‘Allegro’ of Vivaldi’s ‘Spring’ from the Four Seasons violin concertos. It chirps and chirrups like the most jubilant garden bird, like the breeze ushering the start of summer… pretty much what Vivaldi was getting at, then. But is it too earnestly cheery? Some people thought so when they called it ‘infuriating’ when it was used as telephone hold music by the UK government’s Department of Work Pensions.