Classical String Quartet
Fourth Movement – Rondo Form

Definition

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

Rondo form

Consists of an alternation between a recurring refrain and several contrasting episodes.

Listening

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

Fourth Movement – Rondo Form

20:00 Refrain 1 (A)

The refrain of the rondo form functions like the main theme, recurring at multiple locations throughout the movement with various contrasting episodes interspersed in between.

The refrain is structure in a rounded-binary form:

20:00 Part a (bars 1–8): The first 8 bars form a pair of symmetrical phrases, an antecedent phrase (bars 1–4) followed a consequent phrase (bars 5–8). The antecedent ends on an imperfect cadence (or half cadence), while the consequent concludes with a perfect cadence (or perfect authentic cadence) in the dominant key of G minor.

20:15 Part b (bars 9–12): This part contrasts with the previous passage, introducing a new melodic idea that undergoes a descending harmonic sequence (circle-of-fifth sequence / descending fifth sequence); syncopation occurs on the last beat as a result of the sforzandos and the tie over the bar line; this four-bar phrase ends on an imperfect cadence (half cadence), and the last note is prolonged by a fermata, arresting the further continuation of the theme.

20:19 Part a (bars 13–16): Materials from the first A section is brought back as a conclusion. The last two bars are slightly altered to bring about a perfect cadence (or perfect authentic cadence) in the home key of C minor.

This refrain is characterized by many staccato notes, projecting an energetic and sometimes aggressive character. There is also great dynamic contrast, fluctuating constantly between piano and forte.

20:32 Episode 1 (B)

The first episode begins immediately in the submediant key of Ab major.

It features a lyrical melody played by the second violin. This melody begins with an ascending leap of a perfect fourth, followed by a stepwise motion up and down the Ab-major scale. The melody passes onto the first violin during the second half of the phrase.

The rhythm is slower compared to the opening refrain due to the longer note values, thereby evoking a calmer and peaceful atmosphere.

This episode is also structured in a rounded binary form, with a return of the A section in the second half.

21:20 Refrain 2 (A)

The first return of the refrain is almost the same as the opening, except for the written-out repeats of each half of the rounded binary form. During these written-out repeats, the music gets more intense via the addition of shorter rhythmic values, more animated melodic line and thickening of texture.

21:49 Episode 1 (C)

The opening motif – a stepwise ascending fourth (or a fifth in the first violin) – seems to be an expansion of the opening motive of the refrain, Eb–F–G, which is a third.

The beginning of this episode is a cascade of imitative entries, entering one after the another in close succession

The key changes C major – the parallel major of the home key C minor.

The second half of the opening phrase has similar pattern of articulation as in the refrain – a slurred two-note figure followed by two staccato notes.

Part A of this episode modulates to the dominant key (G major). Part B continues in G major before reverting back to C major at the end.

22:15 Refrain 3 (A)

This refrain is slightly varied from the previous two versions. Most notable is the passing of the melodic line from the second violin to the first violin up an octave in the first two bars.

22:55 Episode 3 (B)

This episode begins with materials from the episode 2 – a series of ascending third motives that are later turned into an arpeggiated figure.

In bar 117 onward, the melody from episode 1 reappears in the tonic major (C major). This formal procedure of restating the theme first from a modulated key to the tonic key is akin to the second theme in a sonata-form movement.

Different from the previous episode 1, the main melody is performed by one instrument throughout each phrase (the second violin, then the first violin).

The cadence at the end of the theme is elided (i.e. overlapped with the entrance of the following phrase). From bar 137 onward, the key vacillates between C major and C minor, followed by a tonal digression into the relative major (Eb major) in bars 144–5.

This episode eventually arrives on dominant pedal (bars 153–162), in anticipation of the return of the refrain.

23:42 Refrain 4 (A)

This refrain is in a much faster tempo than before (“Prestissimo”). The principal melody remains the same, but the accompanimental chords become syncopated. Dynamic also becomes louder (fortissimo). The brings about an exhilarating end to this movement as well as the entire string quartet.

The original refrain melody ends with a perfect cadence (or perfect authentic cadence) in bar 178. After that a series of codetta (post-cadential modules) are added to rearticulate the final cadence multiple times, reinforcing the sense of finality.