Piano Quartet (Mahler)
Encyclopedia
The Piano Quartet in A minor
by Gustav Mahler
was written around 1876. Only the first movement survives, and it is unlikely that Mahler completed any other movements.
The manuscript bears the stamp of the publisher Theodor Rattig; it has been theorized that Mahler sent the work to him, but he rejected it.
In several letters, Mahler mentions a quartet or quintet, but there is no clear reference to this piano quartet.
, which consists of a piano
, a violin
, a viola
, and a cello
. It is often referred to as Piano Quartet Movement in A minor, since the opening movement is the only one completed. Typical recordings usually last between 11 and 15 minutes.
This quartet is the only extant chamber
piece known to be composed by Gustav Mahler (there was a violin sonata of similar date, apparently). The work is incomplete; only the first movement was completely written. However, there exists a 24-bar sketch of a scherzo
written in G minor
, sometimes paired with the quartet. In 1988 the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke
wrote a completion of this movement; he also used the fragment in the second movement of his Concerto Grosso No. 4/Symphony No. 5.
Pianist Enguerrand-Friedrich Lühl has also completed the Scherzo movement, and with an addition of two original movements not based on Mahler's materials, produced a four-movement work.
(No other contemporary performances known)
Modern performances:
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
by Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
was written around 1876. Only the first movement survives, and it is unlikely that Mahler completed any other movements.
Origin
This quartet is an early work of Gustav Mahler. Mahler is generally known for his large-scale symphonies and wrote no chamber music after his student years. Probably dating from 1876, Mahler wrote this when he was 15 or 16, at the end of his first year at the Vienna Conservatory. It is one of the very few works from Mahler's early youth that have survived.The manuscript bears the stamp of the publisher Theodor Rattig; it has been theorized that Mahler sent the work to him, but he rejected it.
In several letters, Mahler mentions a quartet or quintet, but there is no clear reference to this piano quartet.
The work
The work is scored for a usual piano quartetPiano quartet
In European classical music, piano quartet denotes a chamber music composition for piano and three other instruments, or a musical ensemble comprising such instruments...
, which consists of a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, a viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, and a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. It is often referred to as Piano Quartet Movement in A minor, since the opening movement is the only one completed. Typical recordings usually last between 11 and 15 minutes.
This quartet is the only extant chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
piece known to be composed by Gustav Mahler (there was a violin sonata of similar date, apparently). The work is incomplete; only the first movement was completely written. However, there exists a 24-bar sketch of a scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
written in G minor
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major....
, sometimes paired with the quartet. In 1988 the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
wrote a completion of this movement; he also used the fragment in the second movement of his Concerto Grosso No. 4/Symphony No. 5.
Pianist Enguerrand-Friedrich Lühl has also completed the Scherzo movement, and with an addition of two original movements not based on Mahler's materials, produced a four-movement work.
Premieres
Contemporary performances:- First performance: July 10, 1876 at the Vienna Conservatory with Mahler at the piano.
- First public performance: September 12, 1876, IglauJihlavaJihlava is a city in the Czech Republic. Jihlava is a centre of the Vysočina Region, situated on the Jihlava river on the ancient frontier between Moravia and Bohemia, and is the oldest mining town in the Czech Republic, ca. 50 years older than Kutná Hora.Among the principal buildings are the...
, with Mahler again at the piano.
(No other contemporary performances known)
Modern performances:
- American premiere: January 12, 1964 in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Peter SerkinPeter Serkin-Biography:He was born in New York City and is the son of pianist Rudolf Serkin, and grandson of the influential violinist Adolf Busch, whose daughter Irene had married Rudolf Serkin...
and the Galimir Quartet. - UK premiere: June 1, 1968 in Purcell RoomPurcell RoomThe Purcell Room is a concert and performance venue which forms part of the Southbank Centre, one of central London's leading cultural complexes. It is named after the 17th century English composer Henry Purcell and has 370 seats....
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, by the Nemet Ensemble. Review ('Premiere for Early Mahler Movement') by Martin CooperMartin CooperMartin Cooper is an American former Motorola vice president and division manager who in the 1970s led the team that developed the handheld mobile phone ....
in the Daily Telegraph, Monday June 3, 1968.
In modern culture
The quartet is heard in Martin Scorsese's 2010 motion picture Shutter Island and is the subject of a short discussion between the movie's characters, although the film is set in 1954, which creates an anachronism, since it wasn't publicly known until 1964. Its complete performance by the Prazak Quartet is featured on the movie's double-CD soundtrack.External links
- http://www.massey.ac.nz/~wwnzpq/mahler.html
- http://turing.cs.camosun.bc.ca:8080/Mahler/Student