Instrumental Genre - String Quartet

A String Quartet is a composition for two Violins, a Viola and a Cello that usually consists of four movements. The String Quartet has the reputation of being the most well known chamber in classical music with most major composers from the late 18th century (Romantic era) onwards writing String Quartets. Normally in a String Quartet, the first violin plays in a higher note range than the melody line, while the second violin will harmonize on the lower notes. The Classical movement gathered momentum in the mid 1700s. During this period composers focused on balance and minimalism and chamber music (played in chambers or living areas) was mostly played by amateurs as a way to relax and socialize. It was in the mid-18th century that musicians started to use the phrase 'string quartet'. The early version of String Quartets consisted of two solo instruments playing a continuo section, with a bass instrument (cello) and a keyboard. Joseph Hayden has been called master of the genre and the evolution of his String Quartets is a good example of how String Quartets changed over time. The first musical arrangements for Quartets by Joseph Haydn were made up of five movements and resembled the 'serenade' or 'divertimento'. By comparison, the Opus 9 quartets written in 1769-70, consisted of four movements; a slow movement, fast movement, a trio, minuet - followed by a fast finale. This became the accepted standard of Haydn and other composers. Other composers known for their work in this genre include Mozart (1756 1791), Beethoven (1770 1827) and Dvorak (1841 1904). Perhaps the most well known example of this genre is String Quartet No. 19 in C major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Beethoven is responsible for another famous piece, String Quartet, Op. 18, No. 3 by Beethoven. Dvorak composed String Quartet No.12. Joseph Haydn was born in 1732 and at the time of his death at the age of 77 in 1809 had written 90 symphonies, more than 20 operas and vast amounts of chamber music, including sixty-eight string quartets. He never completed his last Quartet, plus Die Sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlsers am Kreuze (The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross). It was a sequence of eight slow movements plus a brief, rapid, finale. It was originally written for orchestra, but has become better known in its version for string quartet.

Chad Gardiner 8F

Haydn, String Quartet, Op. 64, No. 5, was named "The Lark" due to the songlike nature of its opening theme. The string quartet was Allegro and uplifting. It follows the basic structure of a string quartet (two violins, one viola and one cello). The duration of this piece is in common time, with the first violin playing a pitch higher than the melody. The tempo of this piece is moderato and dynamics are Forte with staccato notes giving it an interesting feel. The piece is very polyphony but comes together in the chorus to make nice homophonic tune. Mozart, String Quartet No. 19 has a tense and dramatic introduction and is therefore known as Dissonant. However the piece does become bright and tuneful, which is known to be typical of Mozarts quartets. The duration of this piece is . The piece is in C Major. The piece is played Adagio with the main string quartet instruments. The piece is mainly homophonic giving it a nice smooth melody. Joseph Haydn is known as the Father of Symphony and String Quartets. Some historians claim that he did not technically invent the String Quartet, but I believe his dedication to the genre and his influence on the evolution of the music make him the father. Not only did he compose over sixtyeight quartets, but he made the String Quartet a reputable genre. Before Haydns time, string quartets were viewed as music played by commoners for fun. Haydn preformed with a string quartet in front of an audience and from that time on, the string quartet became a very popular and enduring genre. I think Haydn, String Quartet, Op. 64, No. 5: and Mozart, String Quartet No. 19 both represent string quartets in their own way. For example Haydns is more of the original style of a string quartet using the first Violin to play a higher pitch than the melody. Mozart for his string quartet used a more homophonic style and kept the two Violin, Viola and cello at the same pitch.

Chad Gardiner 8F