String Quartet No. 6 (Beethoven)
Encyclopedia
Ludwig van Beethoven
's String Quartet No. 6 in B major was published in 1801 as opus
18, no. 6, and was written between 1798 and 1800.
The first movement is in sonata form
. The first theme starts in B with a conversation between the first violin and the cello. After a while the second violin takes over the conversation from the cello. It then modulates to the dominant of F major and then F minor for the second theme at around m. 45. After a repeat of the first and second themes, the development section starts in F major. It starts by focusing on the "turn" figure of the first theme. It then shifts to D major and on to G minor and eventually returns to F major before shifting to B for the recapitulation. This time around the second theme stays in B. The movement ends without a coda.
The second movement is in E major and starts with the first violin playing a lyrical melody in 2/4 time
. The mood shifts with the move to a minor key and unexpected accents and silences. The viola and cello inteject with an odd motif marked "queste note ben marcate".
The Scherzo returns to B major and is a "tour de force of syncopation" and "an explosion of rhythmic eccentricity". "It depends on rhythmic effects of 3 x 2 as against 2 x 3 within the 6 eight-notes to the bar in a moderate 3/4 meter."
The fourth movement is the crux of the piece and possibly the highlight of Op. 18. It is marked "Questo pezzo si deve trattare colla più gran delicatezza" ("This piece is to be played with the greatest delicacy".). The first section, in 2/4 time is marked Adagio and on one reading matches the "Melancholy" of the title. The second section marked "Allegretto quasi allegro" is in 3/8 time and is more sanguine. It is a fast and simple evocation of a Viennese ballroom or German country dance. This proceeds in contrast to the first section but eventually grinds to a halt on a fortissimo
diminished chord
. There follows a brief return of section 1 (10 bars) followed by a briefer return of section 2 (5 bars) (in a minor) followed by an ever briefer return of section 1 (only 2 bars). This is followed by section 3, which is really a lengthier return of section 2, which starts in G and moves back to B.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's String Quartet No. 6 in B major was published in 1801 as opus
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
18, no. 6, and was written between 1798 and 1800.
Movements
There are four movements:- Allegro con brio
- Adagio ma non troppo
- Scherzo: Allegro
- La Malinconia: Adagio - Allegretto quasi Allegro
The first movement is in sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
. The first theme starts in B with a conversation between the first violin and the cello. After a while the second violin takes over the conversation from the cello. It then modulates to the dominant of F major and then F minor for the second theme at around m. 45. After a repeat of the first and second themes, the development section starts in F major. It starts by focusing on the "turn" figure of the first theme. It then shifts to D major and on to G minor and eventually returns to F major before shifting to B for the recapitulation. This time around the second theme stays in B. The movement ends without a coda.
The second movement is in E major and starts with the first violin playing a lyrical melody in 2/4 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
. The mood shifts with the move to a minor key and unexpected accents and silences. The viola and cello inteject with an odd motif marked "queste note ben marcate".
The Scherzo returns to B major and is a "tour de force of syncopation" and "an explosion of rhythmic eccentricity". "It depends on rhythmic effects of 3 x 2 as against 2 x 3 within the 6 eight-notes to the bar in a moderate 3/4 meter."
The fourth movement is the crux of the piece and possibly the highlight of Op. 18. It is marked "Questo pezzo si deve trattare colla più gran delicatezza" ("This piece is to be played with the greatest delicacy".). The first section, in 2/4 time is marked Adagio and on one reading matches the "Melancholy" of the title. The second section marked "Allegretto quasi allegro" is in 3/8 time and is more sanguine. It is a fast and simple evocation of a Viennese ballroom or German country dance. This proceeds in contrast to the first section but eventually grinds to a halt on a fortissimo
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
diminished chord
Diminished chord
A diminished triad chord or diminished chord is a triad consisting of two minor thirds above the root — if built on C, a diminished chord would have a C, an E and a G. It resembles a minor triad with a lowered fifth....
. There follows a brief return of section 1 (10 bars) followed by a briefer return of section 2 (5 bars) (in a minor) followed by an ever briefer return of section 1 (only 2 bars). This is followed by section 3, which is really a lengthier return of section 2, which starts in G and moves back to B.
External links
- Performance of String Quartet No. 6 by the Belcea QuartetBelcea QuartetThe Belcea Quartet is a string quartet, formed in 1994, under the leadership of violinist Corina Belcea.-History:The quartet was formed while its members were studying at the Royal College of Music in London. Whilst there, they were coached by the Chilingirian Quartet...
from the Isabella Stewart Gardner MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner MuseumThe Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or Fenway Court, as the museum was known during Isabella Stewart Gardner's lifetime, is a museum in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located within walking distance of the Museum of Fine Arts and near the Back Bay Fens...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
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