How do the members of a string quartet play together and tour together year in, year out, without killing each other? Is it the sheer delight of a dream job or a constant indulgence in masochism? Is there a relationship between the quality of the music and the quality of the relationships among the quartet members? Cellist David Waterman spills the beans. —Guardian.UK Knowing little about the inner workings of quartets, I have been fascinated by the simple fact of the longevity of many of the groupings, and wondered if quertets stay together for decades because they are illustrious, or become illustrious because of their longevity.