String Quartets (Schoenberg)

This string quartet in four movements is Schoenberg's earliest extant work of large scale: average duration of recorded performances is about 27 minutes. Completed in 1897, it was premiered privately on March 17, 1898, and publicly later that same year on December 20 in Vienna. It was published posthumously in 1966 (Faber Music, London). Schoenberg's friend Alexander von Zemlinsky gave him much advice and criticism during the composition of this work. Zemlinsky even showed an early draft of it to Johannes Brahms, whom Schoenberg very much admired. It was given the old master's approval. The string quartet is in four movements: The original second movement was the Scherzo in F which now exists as a separate piece. Schoenberg substituted the Intermezzo at Zemlinsky's suggestion. ==String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7==

A large work consisting of one movement which lasts longer than 45 minutes, Schoenberg's First String Quartet established his reputation as a composer. Begun in the summer of 1904 and completed in September 1905, the quartet is remarkable for its density of its orchestration. The quartet is in D minor. The tonality is stretched to the limit as was common in late Romantic music. It also carries a small collection of themes which appear repeatedly in many guises. Instead of balanced phrase structures typical of string quartet writing up to that period, Schoenberg wrote asymmetrical phrases that build into larger cohesive groups. According to Schoenberg, when he showed the score to Gustav Mahler, the composer exclaimed: "I have conducted the most difficult scores of Wagner; I have written complicated music myself in scores of up to thirty staves and more; yet here is a score of not more than four staves, and I am unable to read them." == String Quartet No. 2, Op. 10 ==

This work in four movements was written during a very emotional time in Schoenberg's life. Though it bears the dedication "to my wife", it was written during Mathilde Schoenberg's affair with their friend and neighbour, artist Richard Gerstl, in 1908. It was first performed by the Rosé Quartet and the soprano Marie Gutheil-Schoder. The second movement quotes the Viennese folk song, "O du lieber Augustin". As musical settings of Stefan George's poetry, the third and fourth movements feature a soprano; a 1914 Vossische Zeitung critic called this innovation in genre Beethovenian (alluding to the Symphony No. 9, a choral symphony). On setting George, Schoenberg later wrote, "I was inspired by [his] poems ... and, surprisingly, without any expectation on my part, these songs showed a style quite different from everything I had written before. ... New sounds were produced, a new kind of melody appeared, a new approach to expression of moods and characters was discovered." The string quartet is in four movements: Text The latter two movements of the Second String Quartet are set to poems from Stefan George's collection Der siebente Ring (The Seventh Ring), which was published in 1907. Litanei Tief ist die trauer die mich umdüstert, Ein tret ich wieder, Herr! in dein haus. Lang war die reise, matt sind die glieder, Leer sind die schreine, voll nur die qual. Durstende zunge darbt nach dem weine. Hart war gestritten, starr ist mein arm. Gönne die ruhe schwankenden schritten, Hungrigem gaume bröckle dein brot! Schwach ist mein atem rufend dem traume, Hohl sind die hände, fiebernd der mund. Leih deine kühle, lösche die brände. Tilge das hoffen, sende das licht! Gluten im herzen lodern noch offen, Innerst im grunde wacht noch ein schrei. Töte das sehnen, schliesse die wunde! Nimm mir die liebe, gib mir dein glück! Litany Deep is the sadness that gloomily comes over me, Again I step, Lord, in your house. Long was the journey, my limbs are weary, The shrines are empty, only anguish is full. My thirsty tongue desires wine. The battle was hard, my arm is stiff. Grudge peace to my staggering steps, for my hungry gums break your bread! Weak is my breath, calling the dream, my hands are hollow, my mouth fevers. Lend your coolness, douse the fires, rub out hope, send the light! Still active flames are glowing inside my heart; in my deepest insides a cry awakens. Kill the longing, close the wound! Take love away from me, and give me your happiness! Entrückung Ich fühle luft von anderem planeten. Mir blassen durch das dunkel die gesichter Die freundlich eben noch sich zu mir drehten. Und bäum und wege die ich liebte fahlen Dass ich sie kaum mehr kenne und du lichter Geliebter schatten—rufer meiner qualen— Bist nun erloschen ganz in tiefern gluten Um nach dem taumel streitenden getobes Mit einem frommen schauer anzumuten. Ich löse mich in tönen, kreisend, webend, Ungründigen danks und unbenamten lobes Dem grossen atem wunschlos mich ergebend. Mich überfährt ein ungestümes wehen Im rausch der weihe wo inbrünstige schreie In staub geworfner beterinnen flehen: Dann seh ich wie sich duftige nebel lüpfen In einer sonnerfüllten klaren freie Die nur umfängt auf fernsten bergesschlüpfen. Der boden schüffert weiss und weich wie molke. Ich steige über schluchten ungeheuer. Ich fühle wie ich über letzter wolke In einem meer kristallnen glanzes schwimme— Ich bin ein funke nur vom heiligen feuer Ich bin ein dröhnen nur der heiligen stimme. Rapture I feel air from another planet. The faces that once turned to me in friendship Pale in the darkness before me. And trees and paths that I once loved fade away So that I scarcely recognize them, and you bright Beloved shadow—summoner of my anguish— Are now extinguished completely in deeper flames In order, after the frenzy of warring confusion, To reappear in a pious display of awe. I lose myself in tones, circling, weaving, With unfathomable thanks and unnamable praise; Bereft of desire, I surrender myself to the great breath. A tempestuous wind overwhelms me In the ecstasy of consecration where the fervent cries Of women praying in the dust implore: Then I see a filmy mist rising In a sun-filled, open expanse That includes only the farthest mountain retreats. The land looks white and smooth like whey. I climb over enormous ravines. I feel like I am swimming above the furthest cloud In a sea of crystal radiance— I am only a spark of the holy fire I am only a whisper of the holy voice. == String Quartet No. 3, Op. 30 ==

Schoenberg's Third String Quartet dates from 1927, after he had worked out the basic principles of his twelve-tone technique. Schoenberg had followed the "fundamental classicistic procedure" by modeling this work on Schubert's String Quartet in A minor, Op. 29, without intending in any way to recall Schubert's composition. There is evidence that Schoenberg regarded his 12-tone sets—independent of rhythm and register—as motivic in the commonly understood sense, and this has been demonstrated with particular reference to the second movement of this quartet. Arts patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, whose foundation materials are held at the Library of Congress, commissioned the Quartet, Op. 30 on March 2, 1927. The work had already been completed by this time, and its première was given in Vienna on September 19, 1927, by the Kolisch Quartet. The string quartet is in four movements: == String Quartet No. 4, Op. 37 ==

Schoenberg's Fourth String Quartet, composed April–June 1936 and also commissioned by Coolidge, marks the transition into his late style. It is stylistically freer than the Third Quartet, He had last finished the Three Songs, Op. 48 in 1933 in Berlin before beginning the Violin Concerto, Op. 36 in 1934 in the United States, and relocated to Brentwood, Los Angeles and was beginning to revisit tonal idioms. Schoenberg shapes it into a periodic melody that functions as the . Its first five pitches partially outline D minor (), then B-major (). Seminal dyads (D–C) and (A–G) are accented. Rhythmically, he may allude to Beethoven's "fate" motif. The heard meter is fluid and registrally conflicted. It is initially projected as in the accompaniment. There, {{Mono|{1,2,9}}} recurs in three of four trichordal groups, all of which complete the aggregate vertically (harmonically). In the last group, it is repeated three times as part of a quasi-cadential harmonic field in mm. 4–5, suggesting a D-major-seventh chord and then, through , a B sonority. In the middle portion of the primary theme (mm. 6–9), the heard meter shifts briefly to . appears as the head-motive of , followed by {{Mono|{0,7,8}}} stated three times in the accompaniment. In mm. 8–9, and suggest a dominant–tonic motion in B. In the final portion of the primary theme (mm. 9–16), {{Mono|{1,2,9}}} recurs in the accompaniment in mm. 10–12. It is developed into the melodic palindrome via in mm. 13–16, during which tonal references to D return, with a dominant sonority and an ensuing emphasis on D. In the continuation of the primary theme (mm. 17–26), is the head-motive of in successive triplets across the ensemble in different registers. It is then reiterated in the second violin in the same register, the final statement in retrograde (forming ), with ongoing suggestions of alternating dominant–tonic relations in B. Transition The transition has two portions (mm. 27–42 and 42–62) and a cadence (mm. 62b–65). Building on earlier palindromic passages, a mirror in mm. 27–31 spans a succession of four row forms (, , , and ) in the violins, with the pitch-class retrograde in the lower strings. The row forms are partitioned into hexachords in the upper strings with complements in the lower strings. Mosaics, formed through the distribution of pitch-class sets in the violins, structure the trichord exchange relations • (violins) and (cello), and then • (violins) and (cello). Midway through, these exchange relations are paralleled in the second violin and lower strings. (A related pitch-class mirror in mm. 42–44 suggests B: via in the violin , or chief melody.) From m. 31, the transition moves through aggregate transpositions , , , , and in modulation-like succession. In mm. 35–37, the violins' partition of as previews the development theme (mm. 116ff.), while the lower strings' related partition of previews the start of the secondary theme (mm. 66–68), together prefiguring these themes' contrapuntal recapitulation (mm. 188ff.). Secondary theme For the secondary theme (mm. 66–94), Schoenberg uses harmonies like an A minor-major seventh chord to allude to expository tonic–dominant modulation. The cello , or counter-melody, reprises the seminal dyads, transposed, in continuous chromatic descent, entering with just before the theme and continuing with beneath it (mm. 66–68). Development The development (mm. 95–164) has five stages (mm. 95–104, 105–110, 111–139, 140–153, and 153–164). Recapitulation and coda The concise recapitulation (mm. 165–238) recasts the primary theme (mm. 165–177) and secondary theme (mm. 188–195) separated by a transition (mm. 178–188). Both themes return in counterpoint: the primary theme with another from m. 42 (the transition), and the secondary theme with one from m. 116 (the development). Following a transition (mm. 195–238), the coda (mm. 239–284) has two stages based on the primary theme (mm. 239–257) and the secondary theme (mm. 258–273), followed by a final section and cadence (mm. 274–284). II. Comodo The second movement, marked Comodo (), is an intermezzo in ternary form. It begins as a gentle waltz with an arpeggio-like theme but turns more virtuosic, playful, and edgy as the middle section introduces new material and accrues textural density through motivic–thematic development. Elements of this carry into the return before it ends abruptly as if exhausted. III. Largo The solemn third movement is marked Largo (, as in very slowly and expansively). It is in binary form (ABAB). It opens with a unison theme in all instruments, which diverge into separate lines, and has the character of an operatic recitative. A leads into the periodic, undulating secondary theme. The unison theme returns in inversion. IV. Allegro – agitato The finale, marked Allegro (), is a rondo dominated by variation. Returning to march-like material, it becomes agitated, not unlike the Violin Concerto's finale. The main theme is subsumed into extensive transformation, then gradually re-emerges, and the work ends . Reception Premiered by the Kolisch Quartet in Los Angeles in 1937, the Fourth Quartet was dedicated to them and Coolidge. == Notes ==