III. Scherzo. Allegro molto

The centrepiece of the work is the slow movement, the theme of which was taken from Schubert's song 'Der Tot und das Mädchen, D531. The variations in the string quartet - at times blissful and dreamy, at times dramatically exaggerated - illustrate the Romantic longing for death that is focused in the song melody: 'Be of good cheer! I am not wild, you should sleep softly in my arms!'. A master-piece of this era.