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Kaleidoscopes 2012 8. String Quartet in E minor Opus 59 No 2 Allegro Molto adagio. Si tratta questo pezzo con molto di sentimento Allegretto Finale. Presto The second of the Opus 59 Quartets was composed over an intensive period, probably between April and November 1806. As is often the case with Beethoven, it could not be more diff erent than the work preceding it. Apart from the extraordinary slow movement, it is more terse, darker and more highly strung than the fi rst ‘Rasumovsky’ quartet, full of a restless searching energy. The main theme in the Allegro is triadic and to the point, and in the exposition it is the silences, rather than the notes, that give the music its strength. The emphatic opening chords coupled with highly eff ective pauses create an atmosphere of mystery and suspense that persists throughout. Unlike the continuous fl owing melodies of Opus 59 No 1, the Allegro is mercurial in its moods, with labyrinthine fi guration and dramatic syncopations. Like the Fifth Symphony, the recapitulation is in the major, leaving the coda to re-establish the original tonality. The E major Molto adagio [very slow] is one of Beethoven’s most remarkable slow movements, with the instruction to “play this with much feeling”. His pupil Carl Czerny claimed that he had been inspired by “the starry sky and the movement of the spheres”. While Beethoven typically shunned extramusical stimuli, the profound serenity of the music does not make this allusion seem far-fetched. A chorale-like melody opens the movement, with staggered entries giving an ethereal quality. Although it is in sonata form, the transitions between sections are treated so unobtrusively as to be barely perceptible. Throughout, the melodies are almost continuously accompanied by persistent rhythmic fi gures, like hushed heartbeats, so, when at the climax of the movement the main theme sings out accompanied only by striking new harmonies, the eff ect is fresh and startling. The Allegretto is an unsteady and somewhat ponderous dance, with an unsettling transition from E minor to D major at the end of the fi rst section. In the Trio Beethoven introduces a solemn Russian hymn, treated somewhat irreverently as a brisk fugue. The Presto [very fast] last movement is a vigorous tussle between confl icting keys. It is given direction by a neatly pointed quaver/crotchet rhythm, ever-present in the accompaniment and rarely swamped by passages of strenuous counterpoint. This gives the Finale a smart, almost military fl avour, although the ending is restless and indecisive until the main theme fi nally appears in the tonic.
String Quartet in E fl at Opus 74 ‘Harp’ Poco adagio - Allegro Adagio ma non troppo Presto - attacca: Allegretto con variazioni May 1809 saw the French bombard and occupy Vienna. Unlike his aristocratic friends, Beethoven could not leave the city, communication was well-nigh impossible, and he was unable to take the country walks that inspired him. A letter to his publishers on 26 July summed up his mood: “Let me tell you that since May 4th I have produced very little coherent work, at most a fragment here and there. The whole course of events has in my case aff ected both body and soul... What a destructive, disorderly life I see and hear around me: nothing but drums, cannons, and human misery in every form.” The ‘Harp’ Quartet was one of only a few large-scale works, along with the Piano Sonata Opus 81a and the ‘Emperor’ Concerto, that Beethoven completed in 1809. Dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz, it was published in 1810. Opening mysteriously in A fl at, the Poco adagio [somewhat slow] introduces a tonal plan for the whole quartet, encompassing E fl at, A fl at, C minor and C major. The ensuing Allegro is bluntly cheerful, with a simple theme enlivened by a viola countermelody and the pizzicati which give rise to the work’s nickname. The coda contains a stunningly beautiful passage for the second violin and viola in canon, heralding the climactic return of the main theme. The Adagio ma non troppo [slow but not too slow] is a spacious rondo in A fl at. The lyrical theme appears three times: fl oating above sustained chords; lavishly ornamented over accompanying triplets; and on the lowest string, woven through a hazy accompaniment. The fi rst contrasting episode moves seamlessly through a wide range of keys, while the second introduces a new violin melody, intertwined with a cello solo. Persistent rhythms in the Presto [quickly] recall the Fifth Symphony, but after a vehemently loud opening the mood is subdued. The C major Trio in the centre has no such reservations, consisting of an aggressively intricate fugue. Immediately following on, the six variations of the fi nal movement are diverse in nature. The fi rst, third and fi fth are lively but not particularly deep, while the second and fourth allow the viola and violin a chance to shine. The sixth makes use of a shifting E fl at/D fl at pedal in the cello before a coda featuring short variations on a truncated version of the theme. <strong>New</strong> <strong>Zealand</strong> String Quartet 9.
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