Although you might expect the Andante, then the Allegro, this piece plays them both at the same time! Two string quartets, set in the keys of A minor and Eb major, play in completely contrasting moods in a common-practice era style. If late 20th-century Postmodern musicians ask the question, "Can I make high art out of noise?", this piece asks, "Can I make noise out of 'high art'?"