The string quartet, Op. 5, was composed in 1890, and sections of it while he was on a journey in Germany. The first movement was begun during the summer, the third movement was finished on 29 September, and the finale on 13 November. The second movement was reworked several times and was not completed until 28 November, that is, after the rehearsals had begun. Nielsen revised the quartet when preparing it for publication in 1892. See more about this work at The Royal Library