Page 128 - (DK) The Classical Music Book - Big Ideas Simply Explained

126 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRING QUARTET

Second violin Viola
Often plays in Plays notes in the
harmony with the first mellow middle range
violin, but sometimes corresponding with
with the viola. the alto voice.

First violin Cello
Often leads and Plays the bass line,
plays the highest the foundation for
notes and the most the high-melody
difficult parts. instruments.

Anatomy of a string quartet

The Op. 54, No. 2 quartet was turn in the development section, creation of what appears to be a
among those that Johann Tost, a while the recapitulation is marked quintet, when the lower three play
violinist much admired by Haydn by the cello’s exuberant arpeggio on with occasional double stops,
and a wily merchant, took to Paris and interjections from the first freeing up the first violin to present
to promote and sell. Its brilliantly violin. When the movement should a lament that sounds as if it is
soloistic writing for first violin was head to its conclusion, Haydn—like totally improvised. The freedom
aimed at a musical audience that other great Classical composers, of Haydn’s notation gives every
preferred the quatuor concertant, a such as Mozart, Beethoven, and violinist an opportunity to present
string quartet genre fashionable in Schubert—ignores compositional an individual and uninhibited
the French capital from around 1775 conventions by ending with a interpretation of this passage,
to the French Revolution of 1789. It huge climax. With both violins at which Brahms emulates in the
must also have suited Tost’s talent their loudest, the viola and cello slow movement of his Clarinet
for playing in very high registers. join in before the movement ends Quintet Op. 115.
almost reflectively but for its final The sadness of the ending—
An exuberant opening two upright chords. on a quiet chord—is deliberately
The key of C major that Haydn unresolved. Instead of the normal
chose for the quartet is traditionally Surprising contrasts break (and even the tuning of
an indication of happy, optimistic The ensuing adagio (slow) in instruments between movements
music. The piece begins with C minor is highly introspective that often occurred), the piece
bright and brilliant opening in mood. A sad gypsy melody is moves straight on into the minuet,
bars and a fast and vivaciously pitched in the lowest registers of all which starts hesitatingly and then
improvised melody in celebratory four instruments. The miracle of gradually emulates the optimism
mood. Each instrument leads in this movement is the imperceptible of the first movement. In the

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