List of quarter tone pieces

A selection of compositions using quarter tones:

B

 * Jan Bach
 * Concert Variations for solo euphonium; "each variation is based on different performance techniques of the instrument, including quarter-tones"


 * Clarence Barlow
 * Çoǧluotobüsişletmesi for four pianos. "in which four of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale are tuned a quarter tone flat"
 * ...until' version 7 for guitar (1980).


 * Hans Barth
 * Concerto for Quarter Tone Piano and Quarter Tone Strings (1930)


 * Béla Bartók
 * String Quartet No. 6; the third movement Burletta contains quarter-tone tuning used for parodistic effect. Quarter tones are also used in Bartók's ballet The Miraculous Mandarin.
 * Sonata for Solo Violin; the fourth movement Presto contains quarter-tones, but they are not "structural features." This movement also calls for third-tones.
 * Violin Concerto no. 2; the cadenza in the final movement requires the use of quarter-tones, but only as an effect.


 * John Beckwith
 * Blurred Lines for violin and harpsichord (1997)


 * Jack Behrens
 * Quarter-Tone Quartet, Op. 20.


 * Alban Berg
 * Chamber Concerto, for violin, piano, and 13 winds.


 * Luciano Berio
 * E vó (1972).


 * Easley Blackwood, Jr.
 * Twelve Microtonal Etudes: "24 Notes: Moderato" (1980).


 * Ernest Bloch
 * Piano Quintet No. 1 (1923); the first movement features use of quarter-tones in the string parts.


 * Pierre Boulez
 * Polyphonie X (1951).
 * Le Visage nuptial (1946).

C

 * Julián Carrillo
 * Capricho for piano in quarter-tones (1959)
 * Capricho for solo viola in quarter-tones (1926)
 * Casi-sonatas 1-6 for solo violin, viola or cello in quarter-tones (c.1960s)
 * Concertino in quarter-, eighth- and sixteenth-tones for violin, cello and harp with orchestra (1926)
 * Concerto for 1/4-tone and 1/8-tone cello and orchestra (1958)
 * Concerto No. 1 for quarter-tone violin and orchestra (1963)
 * Concerto No. 2 for quarter-tone violin and orchestra (1964)
 * Mass for Pope John XXIII for male chorus in quarter-tones (1920s)
 * Preludio a Colón for vocalizing soprano, octavina (modified bass guitar, in 8th tones), flute, 16th-tone harp, violin, and guitar (1922)
 * Serenata for cello in quarter-tones with English horn, harp, and string quartet (1927)
 * 70 estudios for solo violin in quarter-tones (c. 1927?) {also for solo viola, cello, or double-bass}
 * Sonata for solo guitar in quarter-tones (c.1924)
 * Sonata (Amanecer en Berlin 13) for solo harp in quarter-tones (1931)
 * Sonata casi fantasia for violin, violoncello and guitar in quarter-, eighth- and sixteenth-tones (1925)
 * String Quartet in quarter-tones (c.1924) {There are also 7 others with some using smaller intervals.}
 * Suite for solo guitar in quarter-tones (1960)
 * 3 estudios en forma de sonatina for solo violin in quarter-tones (1927)
 * Symphony No. 1 (Colombia) for orchestra in quarter-tones (c.1924)
 * Symphony No. 2 (Colombia) for orchestra in quarter-tones (1926)


 * Aaron Copland
 * Vitebsk (1928).


 * John Corigliano
 * Chiaroscuro for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (1997)


 * Mildred Couper
 * Xanadu for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (ca. 1930)
 * Dirge for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart, published in New Music quarterly (January 1937)
 * Rumba for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (ca. 1937)

D

 * John Diercks
 * Reminiscences, 1971 for two pianos, one tuned a quarter-tone lower.

E

 * John Eaton
 * Sonority Movement, for flute and nine harps.


 * Danny Elfman
 * Soundtrack score for A Simple Plan features "very specific quarter tone detunings coming off the Emulator".


 * Don Ellis
 * Electric Bath


 * George Enescu
 * Œdipe (opera)
 * Third Violin Sonata ("In Popular Romanian Style")

F

 * Bjørn Fongaard
 * Galaxe [Galaxy] (for three quarter-tone guitars), Opus 46.


 * Carlo Forlivesi
 * Lux Subtilissima (2005), "Consort Musicke", for microtonal string quartet.

G

 * Sofia Gubaidulina
 * Quaternion for cello quartet, two of the cellos are tuned down a quarter tone
 * Music for Flute, Strings, and Percussion, the strings are divided into two sections, one of which is tuned a quarter-tone lower than the other.

H

 * Sampo Haapamäki
 * Velinikka, concerto for quarter tone accordion (2008)
 * Quarter-Tone Piano Concerto (2017)


 * Georg Friedrich Haas
 * 3 Hommages, for piano player on two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart
 * "Hommage à Steve Reich" (1982)
 * "Hommage à György Ligeti" (1984)
 * "Hommage à Josef Matthias Hauer" (1982)


 * Alois Hába
 * Children's Play for unaccompanied youth chorus, Op.43 (1932)
 * Chor-Suite for unaccompanied chorus, Op. 13 (1922)
 * 5 Choruses for unaccompanied youth chorus, Op. 42 (1932)
 * 5 Mixed Choruses, Op. 44 (1932)
 * Detské nálady (Children's Moods), 8-song cycle for mid-ranged voice and quartertone guitar, Op.51 (1943)
 * Fantasy No. 1 for quartertone piano, Op. 17 (1923)
 * Fantasy No. 2 for quartertone piano, Op. 19 (1924)
 * Fantasy No. 3 for quartertone piano, Op. 20 (1924)
 * Fantasy No. 4 for quartertone piano, Op. 25 (1925)
 * Fantasy No. 5 for quartertone piano, Op. 26 (1925)
 * Fantasy No. 6 for quartertone piano, Op. 27 (1926)
 * Fantasy No. 7 for quartertone piano, Op. 28 (1926)
 * Fantasy No. 8 for quartertone piano, Op. 29 (1926)
 * Fantasy No. 9 for quartertone piano, Op. 30 (1926)
 * Fantasy No. 10 for quartertone piano, Op. 31 (1926)
 * Fantasy No. 11 for quartertone piano, Op. 89 (1959)
 * Fantasy for unaccompanied violin, Op. 9a (1921)
 * Fantasy for unaccompanied violoncello, Op. 18 (1924)
 * Fantasy for violin and quartertone piano, Op. 21 (1925)
 * Fantasy for viola and quartertone piano, Op. 32 (1926)
 * Fantasy for violoncello and quartertone piano, Op. 33 (1927)
 * Já (I) for unaccompanied men's chorus, Op. 36 (1928)
 * Matka (The Mother), quartertone opera in 10 scenes, Op. 35 (1927-29)
 * Poesie zivota (Poetry of Life), 12-song cycle for soprano and quartertone guitar, Op. 53 (1943)
 * Pracující den (The working day) for unaccompanied male voices, Op. 45 (1932)
 * Solo for violin Op. 93 (1961–62)
 * Sonata for quartertone piano, Op. 62 (1946-47)
 * String Quartet No. 2 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 7 (1920)
 * String Quartet 3 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 12 (1922)
 * String Quartet 4 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 14 (1922)
 * String Quartet 6 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 70 (1950)
 * String Quartet No. 12 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 90 (1959–60)
 * String Quartet 14 ("In quarter-tone system"), Op. 94 (1963)
 * Suite No. 1 for quartertone piano, Op. 10 (1922, revised in 1932 as Op. 11a)
 * Suite No. 2 for quartertone piano, Op. 11 (1922, revised in 1932 as Op. 11b)
 * Suite No. 3 for quartertone piano, Op. 16 (1923)
 * Suite No. 4 for quartertone piano, Op. 22 (1924)
 * Suite No. 5 for quartertone piano, Op. 23 (1925)
 * Suite No. 6 for quartertone piano, Op. 88 (1957–59)
 * Suite for clarinet and quartertone piano, Op. 24 (1925)
 * 1st Suite for quartertone guitar, Op. 54 (1943)
 * 2nd Suite for quartertone guitar, Op. 63 (1947)
 * Suite for clarinet (unaccompanied), Op. 55 (1943)
 * Suite for quartertone trumpet and trombone, Op. 56 (1944)
 * Suite in quartertones for 4 trombones, Op. 72 (1950)


 * Fromental Halévy
 * Prométhée enchaîné (1849)
 * Dans le délire de l'inutile for alto saxophone and piano


 * Lejaren Hiller
 * String Quartet No. 5 (1962).


 * Alan Hovhaness
 * O Lord, Bless Thy Mountains, Op. 276, for two pianos tuned a quarter tone apart (1974)

I

 * Charles Ives
 * Quarter-Tone Pieces (3), for two pianos, one tuned a quarter-tone sharp, S. 128 (K. 3C3) (1923–24)
 * Symphony No. 4 (1910–1924)

L

 * Michael A. Levine
 * Divination by Mirrors, for saw and strings. Strings are divided into two groups of 13 tuned 1/4 step apart. Each group plays only in its own pitch "universe". The featured bowed saw freely moves from standard tuning to pitches a 1/4 step away. Premiered at Merkin Concert Hall, NYC, 1998 by the New York Virtuosi, Dale Stuckenbruck saw soloist.


 * György Ligeti
 * Clocks and Clouds for 12-voiced women's choir and orchestra.
 * Quartet No. 2 for strings.
 * Ramifications for 12 solo strings (1968–69), divided into two groups tuned a quarter-tone apart.

M

 * Stu Mackenzie
 * Flying Microtonal Banana by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, extensive use of 24 TET on modified Western instruments, as well as use of Turkish zurna


 * Drake Mabry
 * Street Cries (11.10.83) for solo Bb clarinet features extensive use of quarter tones in all three movements.


 * Henry Mancini
 * Soundtrack score for Wait Until Dark (1967) features extensive use of quarter-tones including two pianos tuned a quarter-tone apart
 * The Night Visitor


 * Steve Mackey
 * Indigenous Instruments
 * On All Fours


 * Olivier Messiaen
 * Deux monodies en quarts de ton (1938).

O

 * Frank J. Oteri
 * Circles Mostly in Wood, a quarter-tone wind quintet in five movements (2002)
 * Fair and Balanced, a quarter-tone saxophone quartet in four short movements (2004)

P

 * Krzysztof Penderecki
 * Passio et mors Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Lucam (1966)
 * Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima, for string orchestra, frequently makes use of quarter tones.

S

 * Richard Stein
 * Zwei Konzertstücke, Op. 26, 1906.


 * Karlheinz Stockhausen
 * Pietà, for soprano, quarter-tone flugelhorn, and electronic music, from the opera Dienstag aus Licht
 * Schlagquartett, for piano and 3 x 2 timpani (1952)


 * Karol Szymanowski
 * Driads and Pan, for violin and piano, op. 30, summer 1915

T

 * Toru Takemitsu
 * Bryce (1976).


 * Tui St. George Tucker
 * Little Pieces for quarter-tone piano
 * Quartertone Recorder Duets
 * Romanza for solo recorder.
 * Sarabande: Dance for Miriam Cooper, for microtonal harpsichord (1986)
 * Sonata No. 1 for Solo Recorder ("The Bullfinch").

V

 * Roman Vlad
 * Tre poesie di Montale (1978).

W

 * Ivan Wyschnegradsky
 * Chant douloureux et étude, for violin and piano, Op. 6 (1918)
 * Cosmos, for 4 pianos in quarter tones, Op. 28 (1939–1940)
 * Variations sans thème et conclusion (five), for orchestra, Op. 33 (1951–52)

Y

 * Eugène Ysaÿe
 * Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 27 (1924), Nos. 3 and 5