quartett

Quartett is the German noun for quartet. It denotes a group of four performers or voices, or a work written for four participants. The term derives from Latin quartus (fourth), through French and Italian variants such as quartette and quartetto before entering standard German usage.

In music, a quartett usually refers to a four-member ensemble or a composition for four parts. The best-known form is the string quartet, typically consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello. There are also woodwind quartets (for example, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon) and brass or mixed ensembles. The string quartet became a central medium of chamber music in the Classical period and has a large repertoire from Haydn and Mozart to Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, and 20th-century composers.

Outside of classical music, Quartett appears in German-speaking culture as the title or designation of games and media. Card games marketed as Quartett involve collecting four related cards. The term is also used for various literary or film works in German, reflecting its general sense of a group of four. In everyday language, Quartett remains the standard German word for quartet and is cognate with the English term quartet.