The Quatuor à cordes sur des thèmes populaires basques dates from Paris 1905, when the author was still a pupil at Schola Cantorum. It is based on three popular Basque themes: Mariya nora zuaz for the first tempo, Iriyarena for the second, and Itxasoan for the third. The work was heard for the first time in San Sebastian, in the lounge of the composer José María Agesta, in early December 1906, and performed for the public at the Gran Casino in San Sebastian on 9 April 1907 in the string orchestra version, presented by the “Concerts by the orchestra conducted by maestro Larrocha”.