The 1st movement - Allegro con fuoco - sets the stage for the quartet's exploration of the interplay between time and fate, driven by personal loss and emotional depth.

According to composers own words, the movement opens with a series of clockwork-like rhythms, immediately establishing the "Time" motif.

[6] The motif emerges as a recurring musical figure of profound thematic significance in the composer's numerous works, making its initial appearance in his Three Romances for Viola.

The movement then unfolds into a kaleidoscope of episodic themes, each contributing to a complex narrative that leads to a grand culmination, prominently featuring the Fate motif.

In the virtuoso coda, the clock theme from the first movement suddenly reappears, driving the quartet towards a highly energetic and dazzling ending.