The String Quartet

A LIFE Institute CourseSession Three

Bob Fabianhttp://LIFEcourses.ca/Quartet

Carryover – The Baryton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6yZL4XqDE

Focus: 2 Troubled Giants

● “The two most played string quartet composers” ...● Franz Schubert 1797-1828

● Troubled family background● Great lyrical power

● Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827● Father a drunken tyrant● Great emotional depth

● Not just Germans – also French Jadin brothers● Hyacinthe Jadin 1776-1800● Louis-Emmanuel Jadin 1768-1853

World Events 1811 - 1820

● 1811: Independence declared in Venezuela, Bolivia & Columbia● 1812: Luddites begin to destroy English spinning machinery● 1812: War between England (Canada) and the United States● 1812: Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia begins● 1813: Laura Secord walks 20 miles to warn Canada● 1814: Negotiated treaty ends North American War of 1812● 1815: Russian and Prussian forces enter Paris● 1815: Mount Tambora, Indonesia, spews enough ash to cause

famine during the next year (serious temperature drop)● 1819: 60,000 English gather to demand universal suffrage

Franz Schubert 1797-1828

● Father ran an Austrian boy's school● Musical talent not respected by his father● Rebelled, left teaching at age 21● Nicknamed Schwammerl (A Little Mushroom)● Only small circle of musical admirers● Appreciation came only after death● Composed

– 600+ songs (piano & voice)– 20 stage works– 7 complete symphonies– 20 string quartets

Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZtXp0iwCDQ

Death & the Maiden, Matthias Claudius

● Das Mädchen:– Vorüber! Ach, vorüber!

– Geh, wilder Knochenmann!

– Ich bin noch jung! Geh, lieber,

– Und rühre mich nicht an.

– Und rühre mich nicht an.

● Der Tod:– Gib deine Hand, du schön und

zart Gebild!

– Bin Freund, und komme nicht, zu strafen.

– Sei gutes Muts! ich bin nicht wild,

– Sollst sanft in meinen Armen schlafen!

● The Maiden:– Pass me by! Oh, pass me by!

– Go, fierce man of bones!

– I am still young! Go, rather,

– And do not touch me.

– And do not touch me.

● Death:– Give me your hand, you beautiful

and tender form!

– I am a friend, and come not to punish.

– Be of good cheer! I am not fierce,

– Softly shall you sleep in my arms!

Death & the Maiden, song

Schubert, Op. 7, No. 3https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgvM0g4fGBE

Quartet Explained & Illustrated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obz-GP6_q2U

Just the quartet ...

String Quartet No 14 D minor Death and the Maiden Alban Berg Quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udeeqbCI9mM

Ludwig van Beethoven 1770-1827

● Grandfather, Ludwig van Beethoven, was successful musician

● Father, Johann van Beethoven, was much less successful

● But Johann had visions of his Ludwig being a second Mozart

● 1792 studied with Joseph Haydn in Vienna; played JS Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier at van Swieten's salon

● 1793 established reputation as piano virtuoso ● Became increasingly deaf and increasingly

cantankerous ● Revered as one of Europe's most profound composers

Fiercely Independent Romantic

“What you are, is by accident of birth;What I am, I created myself.

There are, and have been, thousands of princes;There is only one Beethoven.”

Ludwig van Beethoven

● The artist exists to serve his art (and mankind)● He may need patronage, but the art comes first● A new 19th century view of art and the artist

BBC Explains Beethoven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNoZw6Im86k

Beethoven late String Quartets

● Opus 127: String Quartet No. 12 in E-flat major (1825)● Opus 130: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major (1825)● Opus 131: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor (1826)● Opus 132: String Quartet No. 15 in A minor (1825)● Opus 133: Große Fuge in B-flat major for string quartet

(1826), originally the finale to Op. 130● Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16 in F major (1826)

His last major, completed compositions

Great Fugue (animated score)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s0Mp7LFI-k from Royalty-Free Classical Music (dot com)

Great Performance of Great Fugue

Alban Berg Qurrtethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEZXjW_s0Qs

And a version for orchestra ...

NDR Sinfonie-OrchesterChristoph von Dohnányi, conductor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_weEGDmtpSI`

Vienna was the centre, but ...

● Musicians did travel widely● London featured Handel, Haydn & Mendelssohn ● The Russian court drew artists to St. Petersburg

● Example: The Jadin brothers– Louis-Emmanuel Jadin 1768 -1853

– Born in Versailles, head of Paris Conservatory

– Hyacinthe Jadin 1776 – 1800– Born in Versailles, moved to Paris

– Two of five musically gifted brothers

Louis-Emmanuel Jadin

String Quartet No. 2 in F minor (published 1814)

Quartetto Manfredi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arcbfhIkr4o

Hyacinthe Jadin

● String Trio in G-Dur Op.2/2 (1797)

members of Takeuchi String Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPehAjh6rjM

Coming … (current plan)

● Next week – Feb 24● Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn● Robert & Clara Schumann

● Week Five – Mar 2● Johannes Brahms● Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

● Week Six – Mar 9● Benjamin Britten● Heitor Villa-Lobos

plus a few extras

Ending Bon-Bon ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT3SBzmDxGk