Classical String Quartet
First Movement – Sonata Form

String Quartet

A chamber work written for a group of four string instruments, consisting of two violins, one viola and one cello.

String quartets became popular during the Classical period. The genre symbolizes four individuals engaging in an intellectual conversation. 

A Classical string quartet typically consists of four movements. The styles and ordering of the movements are similar to that of a Classical symphony:
First movement fast tempo; generally in sonata form
Second movement slow tempo; more lyrical and song-like; often in ternary form (ABA), theme-and-variations form, or sometimes sonata form
Third movement dance-like; minuet-and-trio form (scherzo-and-trio for Beethoven)
Fourth movement (Finale) fast tempo; often light-hearted in mood; generally in rondo form, sonata form, or a mixture of both (sonata-rondo form); theme-and-variations form

Sonata Form

Often used in the first movement of a Classical multi-movement works, such as sonatas, string quartets and symphonies.

 

Listening

Beethoven, String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4

First Movement – Sonata Form
Exposition

0:02  First theme – The first violin plays the principal melody; the cello provides a pedal point over the tonic in repeated quaver notes.

  • Mood: agitated, anxious, impulsive, disquieting
  • Dynamics: punctuated by sforzando, which emphasizes the dissonant diminished seventh chord in bars 2 & 4
  • Melodic contour: gradually ascending, Violin I moves from the middle to a high register; a wide registral range  

    • 0:23  Transition – Begins with a series of blocks chords in fortissimo, punctuated by rests

  • Performance technique: Violin II plays in triple stops (three notes at the same time); Viola plays in double stops (two notes at the same time)

    • 0:31  The first violin restates the ending portion (bar 10) of the first theme a step higher; its syncopated rhythm interlocks with that of the cello

    0:36  A dominant pedal with the same repeated-note accompaniment pattern as the beginning, leading to a general pause (bar 25); tonality still remains in the tonic key (C minor)

    0:46  An unexpected resolution of the dominant to the submediant (VI), bringing about a modulation to the submediant key of Ab major; this short tonal excursion destabilizes the tonic key and leads ultimately to the onset of the second theme.

    1:01  Second theme 1 – The second violin plays the main melody, which is then repeated by the first violin and viola doubling in octaves

  • Mood: lyrical, expressive, graceful, elegant, light-hearted
  • Ornament: a turn figure embellishing the main melody, adding to its gracefulness
  • Articulation: legato in the main melody; staccato in the quaver-note accompaniment (viola, then cello)

    • 1:15  Second theme 1 – Repeated; main melody played by the first violin and viola in parallel octaves

    1:35  Second theme 2 – The first violin plays the main melody; the texture becomes chordal, with all four instruments playing in the same rhythm; ends on a perfect cadence in the secondary key area (Eb major)

  • Mood: assertive, decisive, energetic
  • Dynamics: frequent use of sforzando on the off-beats, emphasizing the syncopated notes

    • 2:05  Codetta – A short passage that prolongs the ending tonic chord of Eb major and rearticulates the perfect cadence. During the first repeat, the key reverts back to C minor in preparation for the return of the first theme.

    Exposition (Repeat)

    2:22  Restatement of the entire exposition, including the first theme, transition, second themes and codetta.

     

    Development

    4:42  First theme – the development section begins with a developed version of the first theme in G minor (dominant minor), with a much denser accompaniment made by repeated quaver chords in lower strings.

    5:04  Call and response between the cello and the first violin; development based on the head motif of the first theme

    5:44  Second theme – restatement of the second theme in the F major (subdominant major), beginning with the main melody in the cello

    5:59  Second theme (repeated) tonality changes to the parallel minor (F minor) 

    6:14  Pedal point over the dominant (G)

     

    Recapitulation

    6:27  First theme – The first theme returns in the tonic key (C minor), with added accompaniment figurations in second violin and viola. The frequent use of accents further dramatises this recapitulating theme.

    6:48  Transition – This section is altered and extended, such that the second theme can reappear in the tonic key within the recapitulation.

    7:07  Second theme 1 – The second theme returns in the parallel major key (C major).

    7:41  Second theme 2 – It is also brought back to the tonic major key (C major).

    8:13  Codetta – first time in C major, then repeated in C minor

    Coda

    8:29  The coda picks up from where the recapitulation ends, similar to the beginning of the development; the coda begins in a highly unusual key (Db major), which is then followed by an increasingly agitated ascending sequence