The String Quartet - lifecourses.califecourses.ca/sites/default/files/2018-02/Session Five_2.pdf · fall in love with her? ... String Quartet No. 1 “From my life ...

The String Quartet

A LIFE Institute CourseSession Five

Bob Fabianhttp://LIFEcourses.ca/Quartet

A LIFE Question

● The full LIFE experience requires engagement● Volunteer LIFE class leaders are better at

engaging their fellow LIFE members● But LIFE has difficulty attracting enough

volunteer class leaders● How can LIFE make it more attractive for a

volunteer to lead a class?

Plan for Today

● Brahms – the German romantic capstone● String Quartet; String Sextet

● Tchaikovsky – birth of Russian tradition● String Quartet

● Smetana – the original Czech composer● String Quartet(s)

● Dvorák – American flavored Czech composer● “American” String Quartet

● Bon-Bon – Kronos Quartet doing their thing!

Continuing Focus

● There were very few composers who primarily wrote string quartets

● One possibility: “Easy” quartets for home market● Another: “Showcase” quartets to feature 1st violin● Such quartets have little to say to us, today

● Many composers used the string quartet as one of the more important ways to explore musical ideas

● The quartet can show us how a composer thinks● Course premise: String quartets help us understand the musical

foundation● Leading to deeper appreciation of all of a composer's works

1871 - 1880

● 1872 – Jehovah's Witnesses starts, in Pittsburgh● 1872 – All Confederate states back to US● 1874 – US invents barbed wire (to control cattle)● 1875 – Canadian invents light bulb, Edison buys patent● 1876 – Bell invents the telephone● 1877 – US economy in trouble. 27% unemployment● 1878 – Cyprus moves from Ottoman to British● 1879 – Yellow fever outbreak in New Orleans● 1880 – Rockefeller controls 95% of US oil● 1880 – US has eleven college-level history professors

Johannes Brahms 1833-1897

● The last “Three Bs” - Bach, Beethoven, Brahms● Romantic culmination of classical tradition?● Father was town musician, played horn and double bass● Teenage Johannes forced to play piano in dance halls – source of

his troubles with love?● At 20, successful pianist, introduced to the Schumanns● Perfectionist, he destroyed 80% of what he wrote● By 35, A German Requiem established his reputation● 1875 – Brahms recommended Dvorák to his publisher● Brahms never married, but loved children & women

Brahms in pictures and words

Mini-biopichttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8pq54PfpZA

Five minute biographyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zkqXz9LMfw

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 51

Jerusalem Quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAKlN-k34JI

String Sextet, Op.18

Israeli Chamber Projecthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkjeeW835QE

Next week: Schoenberg String Sextet

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 1840-1893

● European Romantic & Russian National● Father managed an ironworks, both parents were musical● In 1844, a French governess was hired for the children, did Pyotr

fall in love with her?● In 1850, sent to St Petersburg School of Jurisprudence● In 1862, joined first class at St Petersburg Conservatory● In 1865, offered post as Prof of Music Theory at new Moscow

Conservatory● Published reviews:

● “Praised Beethoven, considered Brahms overrated and, despite his admiration, took Schumann to task for poor orchestration.” - wikipedia

BBC – Great Composers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXfPpRb5oDY

String Quartet No. 2

Borodin Quartet (early USSR TV)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf4_iiUtuic

How did he die?

1.5 minute explanationhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldI-ydMlIB4

Bedrich Smetana 1824-1884

● At age 6, gave his first piano concert● The 1848 uprising inspired Czech nationalism in

Smetana● In the revolution's aftermath, more “comfortable” in

Gothenburg, Sweden● In early 1860s, returned to Prague● Bartered Bride (opera) and Ma vlast (orchestra)

pioneered new Czech musical style● Mental collapse in 1884, died in an asylum

YouTube Video Sample

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0Jklf_jkqA

String Quartet No. 1 “From my life”

The Smetana Quartet (from memory)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L1lPraMNUk

The Smetana Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtKUJQraHeU

From the start in 1942https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rE-9txk2_w

Antonin Dvorák 1841-1904

● Father was an innkeeper and professional zither player – first of 14 children

● At 13 went to live with an uncle and learn German● Father demanded that he become an organist● 1866 – Dvorák's monthly wage: $7.50● 1873 – Married the sister of his sweetheart, they had 9 children● Brahms and Smetana supported and encouraged Dvorák

● Growing fame in Prague and well beyond

● 1892 – Director of the new National Conservatory in NYC ● 1893 - “Panic of 1893”, salary cut from $15,000 to $8,000● 1895 – Erratic salary payment, time to go home

Documentaries

First Segmenthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq6quHDc614

Movie Trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0lLfBadhvI

“American” Quartet, Op. 96

Prazak Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV-kbAydcwk

Final Week: 20th Century

● The string quartet comes back in favor– Way of musical exploration, no audience concerns– Course challenge: Find accessible string quartets

● “National” selection● German: Arnold Schoenberg● English: Benjamin Britten● Hungarian: Bela Bartók● American: William Schuman● Russian: Dmitri Shostakovitch

Kronos Quartet, double bon-bon ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj_MzFstr6c

Jimmy Hendrix, Purple Hazehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dE65iTuG4Y