Galilee Quartet Reimagines the String Quartet via the Oud

The Galilee String Quartet’s London debut demonstrated a synthesis of Western equal temperament (a system of tuning where the octave is divided into twelve equal parts) and Arabic microtonality. By transitioning from Webern to the oud, the ensemble illustrates how the string quartet can serve as a laboratory for cross-cultural harmonic dialogue without sacrificing formal rigor. Their performance highlights the possibility of a third way in programming, where the cultural background of the performers informs the aesthetic choice without becoming the sole criterion. The quartet’s ability to improvise within a classical frame suggests a new direction for the genre’s future.