It has become almost commonplace to say that the musical output of Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) is as vast, varied, and exuberant as the Amazon rain forest, which was his life-long inspiration. This is a picturesque analogy, but it certainly rings true: in the catalogue of Villa-Lobos, which comprises more than 2,000 works, we find an astonishing variety of forms, genres, and modes of expression that bear witness to the composer's inquisitive and adventuresome spirit.

The sheer number of string quartets penned by Villa-Lobos is remarkable in itself: they are seventeen in all, written over a period of forty-two years, and they undoubtedly represent the most important contribution in the field by a Latin American composer.