‘A composer of exquisite chamber music’. Dispelling the Enigma of Józef Koffler’s String Quartet, Op. 19

This article documents the discovery of Józef Koffler’s String Quartet, Op. 19, at London’s Royal College of Music Library. The study examines both the manuscript and correspondence revealing Koffler’s efforts to have the quartet performed. Through musical analysis, it explores the work’s twelve-tone technique and its connection to his Fourth Symphony, Op. 26, from six years later, highlighting Schoenberg’s influence. The findings lead to a reassessment of both works’ importance in Koffler’s compositional output.