Julia Smith's Quartet for Strings was composed in 1964. It is in three movements: Allegro ritmico, Lento espressivo and Allegro giocoso. It is characterized by its hard driving rhythms and constantly changing time signatures, which gives the music a continual sense of restlessness. Mostly tonal, it is not without some dissonance, but for the time, it could be considered tonally conservative. The Allegro ritmico has an upward reaching theme. The initial pizzicato accompaniment sounds rather like banjos. For the most part, the mood is one of frenetic nervous energy. The Lento begins darkly and dissonant. The theme is rather melancholic. The closing Allegro giocoso is as the title suggests is jocular and upbeat.
Julia Smith (1911-1989) was born in Denton, Texas. She studied piano and composition first at the University of North Texas, then at the Juilliard School of Music and at New York University where she obtained a doctorate. She enjoyed a career as both a concert pianist and a teacher, holding positions at Juilliard and the Hartt School of Music. She is mostly known for her large scale works such as her operas and orchestra pieces. Her style is eclectic combining elements of folk music, jazz and French impressionism. It is traditionally tonal. The Trio Cornwall dates from 1966 and has nothing to do with the English shire of Cornwall, but rather with Cornwall on the Hudson in New York State where the composer first heard bird calls which she used as thematic material for the work, especially in the first movement.