cuarteto

Cuarteto is a Spanish term that primarily means a group of four. In music and poetry, it denotes a four-part unit, whether as an ensemble, a composition for four voices or instruments, or a four-line stanza.

In classical music, cuarteto often refers to a quartet—the standard form of four players—such as a string quartet (cuarteto de cuerdas) consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. There are also wind and mixed quartets. The designation emphasizes the four-part texture, regardless of the specific instrumentation.

The term also appears in popular music contexts. In Argentina, cuarteto (cuarteto cordobés) denotes a distinct dance music style that originated in Córdoba in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by an upbeat tempo and danceable rhythms and is performed by small ensembles accompanying a lead vocalist. The genre remains a recognizable part of regional music and dance culture, with numerous groups and performers contributing to its repertoire.

In Spanish poetry, a cuarteto is a four-line stanza, a common building block in various forms. It may appear with different metric schemes and rhymes and is sometimes used as a standalone stanza or as part of longer poems.

Etymologically, cuarteto derives from cuatro, meaning four, with the suffix -eto indicating a group or set. The term thus spans multiple domains where a quartet, or four-part unit, is central.