1785-1814 Miscellaneous Chamber Music Flashcards
1
Q
Name 8 miscellaneous chamber works ca.1785-1814.
A
1-5. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
- Piano Quartet No.1 in g, K.478 (1785)
- Quintet No.3 in C for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello, K515 (1787)
- Serenade No.13 for string quartet and bass in G “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”, K525 (1787)
- Divertimento for string trio in E-flat, K.563 (1788)
- Quintet in A for Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, and Cello, K. 581 (1789)
6-8. Ludwig van Beethoven
- String Trio No. 2 (“Serenade”) in D, Op.8 (1797)
- Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op.16 (1797)
- String Trio No. 5 in c, Op.9 (1798)
2
Q
How many piano quartets did Beethoven write?
A
4 piano quintets
- WoO 36, Nos.1-3
- Op.16 (originally for piano and winds)
3
Q
How many viola quintets did Mozart write?
A
6 viola quintets
- Quintet No. 1 in B-flat major, K. 174
- Quintet No.2 in c for 2 violins, 2 violas, cello, K406/516b (1787)
- Quintet No.3 in C for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello, K515 (1787)
- Quintet No.4 in g for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello, K516 (1787)
- Quintet No. 5 in D major, K. 593
- Quintet No. 6 in E-flat major, K. 614
4
Q
How many piano quartets did Mozart write? Who originally commissioned them?
A
2 piano quartets.
- Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478 (1785)
- Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-flat major, K. 493 (1786)
- Mozart received a commission for three quartets in 1785 from the publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister. Hoffmeister thought this quartet was too difficult and that the public would not buy it, so he released Mozart from the obligation of completing the set. (Nine months later, Mozart composed a second quartet anyway, in E-flat major, K. 493).
- Hofmeister’s fear that the work was too difficult for amateurs was borne out by an article in the Journal des Luxus und der Moden published in Weimar in June 1788. The article highly praised Mozart and his work, but expressed dismay over attempts by amateurs to perform it:”[as performed by amateurs] it could not please: everybody yawned with boredom over the incomprehensible tintamarre of 4 instruments which did not keep together for four bars on end, and whose senseless concentus never allowed any unity of feeling; but it had to please, it had to be praised! … what a difference when this much-advertised work of art is performed with the highest degree of accuracy by four skilled musicians who have studied it carefully.”
The assessment accords with a view widely held of Mozart in his own lifetime, that of a greatly talented composer who wrote very difficult music.
5
Q
Piece: Mozart piano quartet, 1.
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Piano Quartet No.1 in g, K.478 (1785)
- Considered the first major piece composed for piano quartet in the chamber music repertoire. It has 3 movements.
- Mozart received a commission for three quartets in 1785 from the publisher Franz Anton Hoffmeister. Hoffmeister thought this quartet was too difficult and that the public would not buy it, so he released Mozart from the obligation of completing the set. (Nine months later, Mozart composed a second quartet anyway, in E-flat major, K. 493). This assessment accords with a view widely held of Mozart in his own lifetime, that of a greatly talented composer who wrote very difficult music.
6
Q
Piece: Mozart viola quintet, 2. (not selected piece)
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet No.2 in c for 2 violins, 2 violas, cello, K406/516b (1787)
- Mozart wrote 6 viola quintets.
- Known by violists as one of the most difficult of the viola quintets.
- Mozart prefaces the serene final movement with a long, emotionally stormy introduction. Beethoven parallels this procedure in his ‘Storm’ fourth movement of the Symphony No.6 in F “Pastoral”, Op.68 (1804–08).
7
Q
Piece: Mozart viola quintet, 3.
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet No.3 in C for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello, K515 (1787)
- Mozart wrote 6 viola quintets.
- The work is in standard four movement form, though published with the middle movements in reverse order, the ‘scherzo’ movement preceding the ‘slow’ movement.
- The first movement is massive in scope. Indeed, it is the largest “sonata-allegro” movement before Beethoven, usually taking about a quarter of an hour to perform.
- This quintet inspired Schubert to write his own string quintet in the same key (his scoring involves two cellos rather than two violas as in Mozart’s quintet). The opening theme of Schubert’s work retained many of the characteristics of Mozart’s opening theme, such as decorative turns, irregular phrase lengths, and rising staccato arpeggios (the latter appear only in Schubert’s recapitulation).
8
Q
Piece: Mozart viola quintet, 4. (not selected piece)
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet No.4 in g for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello, K516 (1787)
- Mozart wrote 6 viola quintets.
- The work was completed on May 16, 1787, less than a month after the completion of his grand C Major Quintet, K. 515.
- This would not be the last time that a great pair of C major/G minor works of the same form would be published in close proximity and assigned consecutiveKöchel numbers. The following year, the 40th (G minor) and 41st (C major) symphonies (respectively K.550 and K.551) would be completed within a few weeks of each other.
- The work is in four movements.
- The first movement is in sonata form with both the first and second themes beginning in G minor. The movement does not resolve to the major key in the recapitulation and has a minor-key ending.
- The minuet is placed second and is a minuet in name only as the turbulent G minor theme and heavy third-beat chords make this movement very undancelike. The central trio is in a bright G major.
- The third movement in E-flat major is slow, melancholic and wistful, furthering the despair brought forth by the previous movements. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky said of this movement: “No one has ever known as well how to interpret so exquisitely in music the sense of resigned and inconsolable sorrow.”
- The start of the fourth movement is not the typical quick-tempo finale, but a slow cavatina back in the home key of G minor. It is a dirge or lament that is even slower than the previous movement. The music wallows in this dark area for a few minutes before reaching an ominous pause. At this point, Mozart launches unexpectedly into the ebullient G major Allegro which creates a stark contrast between it and the movements that preceded it. Critics have often questioned how such an insouciant and carefree finale could be tacked on after three-plus movements of intense pathos.
9
Q
Piece: Mozart string quintet, w/bass.
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No.13 for string quartet and bass in G “Eine kleine Nachtmusik”, K525 (1787)
- The German title means “a little serenade,” though it is often rendered more literally but less accurately as “a little night music.”
- The work was not published until about 1827, long after Mozart’s death.
- The work is in four movements.
- This first movement (Allegro) is in sonata-allegro form, which aggressively ascends in a Mannheim rocket theme. The second theme is more graceful and in D major, the dominant key of G major. The exposition closes in D major and is repeated. The development section begins on D major and touches on D minor and C major before the work returns to G major for the recapitulation.
- The second movement, in C major, is a “Romanze”, with the tempo marked Andante. A feeling of intimacy and tenderness remains throughout this movement. It is in rondo form, taking the shape A–B–A–C–A plus a final coda. The keys of the sections are C major for A and B, C minor for C. The middle appearance of A is truncated, consisting of only the first half of the theme. Heartz describes the movement as evoking gavotte rhythm: each of its sections begins in the middle of the measure, with a double upbeat.
- The third movement, marked Allegretto, is a minuet and trio, both in 3/4 time. The minuet is in the home key of G major, the contrasting trio in the dominant key of D major. As is normal in this form, the minuet is played again da capo following the trio.
- The fourth and last movement is in lively tempo, marked Allegro; the key is again G major. The movement is written in sonata form. Mozart specifies repeats not just for the exposition section but also for the following development and recapitulation section. The work ends with a long coda.
10
Q
Piece: Mozart clarinet quintet.
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Quintet in A for Clarinet, 2 Violins, Viola, and Cello, K. 581 (1789)
- Written for the clarinetist Anton Stadler (for whom he also wrote his Clarinet Concerto, K622 and Clarinet Trio for clarinet, viola, and piano, K498).
- Although originally written for basset clarinet, it is almost always played on a clarinet in A or B-flat.
- It was Mozart’s only completed clarinet quintet, and is one of the earliest and best-known works written especially for the instrument.
- The work is in four movements.
- The first movement (Allegro) sets the mood for the entire piece. It has beautiful moving lines in all of the parts and in the second half there is a virtuoso run that is passed throughout the strings, based on material from the second section of the exposition.
- The second movement (Larghetto), in sonata form with a six-bar transition in place of a central development section, opposes a first section which is mostly a long-breathed clarinet melody over muted strings, to a second group of themes in which —as in the first movement— several upward runs of scales are given to the first violin, alternating with brief phrases of clarinet melody. These scales are given to the clarinet in the recapitulation, and then in the last few bars of the movement, more chromatic than the rest, the scales turn into triplet arpeggios traded between the strings under the closing clarinet phrases.
- The third movement consists of a minuet and, unusually, two trios. The first trio is for the strings alone, with a theme that has a signature acciaccatura every few notes. The second trio is a clarinet solo over the strings, whereas in the minuet the roles are distributed more evenly.
- The finale is in variations form, unexpectedly substituting for the more conventional rondo (Warrack 3). There are five variations. The theme is in two repeated halves, with the clarinet joining in but only for a few of its bars. As often with Mozart, phrase structure is generally the same throughout the variations even if other qualities change — the theme consists of four four-bar phrases (Mozart is often more irregular in his phrasing than this), the first going harmonically from A to E, the second back from E to A, etc. and likewise with the variations.
11
Q
Piece: Beethoven piano quartet (with opus).
A
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op.16 (1797)
- Beethoven wrote 4 piano quartets; the other three were written as one set (WoO36, 1785).
- Originally written for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, and piano. Soon after it was published, Beethoven also rewrote it for violin, viola, cello, and piano. It was not uncommon for Beethoven to arrange his works for different combinations of instruments to accommodate different groups of players. This piano quartet undoubtedly came into existence because string players were more plentiful than expert wind players.
- The work is lighthearted and entertaining. Beethoven the liberator is not yet apparent but Beethoven the enormously talented protege of Haydn and inheritor of the 18th century classical tradition is everywhere discernable.
- This work shares not only its key and unusual corps of performers, but also structural features with Mozart’s Quintet in E-flat for piano and winds, K.452. It was composed only 12 years after Mozart’s.
- The work is in 3 movements.
- Grave - Allegro ma non troppo: The first movement begins with an extended slow introduction (Grave), a standard feature of Haydn’s last symphonies. The opening follows the same contours as the Mozartian model, but the predecessor’s brusque chords are extended into a full dotted-rhythm fanfare: first soft, the repeated forte, giving the impression of music that approaches the listener from afar. Lyricism and virtuosic display combine as the music builds towards a dominant 7th chord to prepare the solo piano statement of the first theme of the Allegro. Beethoven succeeds exposition with development by transforming the final cadence of the former into a transitional modulatory sequence. The listener’s attention is gripped by the false recapitulation in the middle of the development and the cleverly suspended lead-ins to the recapitulation proper. Already in this early work we observe Beethoven’s experimentation with expanding the sonata principle beyond its classical origins. In the recapitulation, after an amusing thematic trade-off, a gesture which recalls the cadenza preparation in Mozart’s final movement, leads to an extended coda, supplementing the development section as well as rounding out the movement.
- Andante cantabile: The slow movement, Andante cantabile, is close to Mozart in its beautiful long-lined primary theme which goes through lyrically, unfolding variations. The movement is in a varied rondo form with melodramatic episodes that economically explore a surprising range of colors. Each recurrence of the rondo theme involves ever increasing melodic elaborations, creating a sense of progressive transformation, while providing a glimpse of Beethoven’s often-noted improvisational powers.
- Rondo. Allegro ma non troppo: Beethoven’s characteristic humor shines in the Rondo finale. It is again modeled closely on Mozart’s formal structure. Some of the episodes are thematically related: for instance, the second minore episode, which serves as a development section. As in K.452, the rondo theme is never presented in exactly the same guise. A state of anticipation is maintained in the remarkable concluding section as melodic fragments are exchanged between the instruments and unstable, questioning phrases build tension towards the stirring final chords.
12
Q
Name and describe one classical-period “divertimento.” Also describe that genre of composition.
A
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Divertimento for string trio in E-flat, K.563 (1788)
- The unusual six movement string trio, the Divertimento in E-flat, K. 563, is a serious work belonging with his string quartets and quintets, despite it being labeled a divertimento. It influenced later composers to write comparable works (e.g. Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat, Op.20).
- Performances of the Divertimento range from 41 to 50 minutes, far exceeding the standard trio in length.
- Mozart is known for having composed different types of divertimenti, sometimes even taking the form of a small symphony.
- The first is an Allegro and the second a beautiful and lyrical Adagio, which appears less of a contrast. The four other movements are somewhat lighter. The third movement, a fiery and lively Minuet, is written in the manner of a Ländler, an Austrian peasant dance. The fourth movement is an air, a song-like Andante, consisting of a folk-music theme with four variations. The fifth movement is an Allegretto Minuet, starting with a courtly dance leading to two trios each in the style of a different cheerful Ländler. The sixth movement is a Rondo, marked Allegro that ends with hornlike fanfares.
1. Allegro (E-flat major, sonata form, 4/4)
2. Adagio (A-flat major, sonata form, 3/4)
3. Menuetto – Trio (E-flat major, ternary form, 3/4): a Ländler
4. Andante (B-flat major, theme and 4 variations, with the third variation in B-flat minor, 2/4): an air with folk-like theme & variations
5. Menuetto – Trio I – Trio II (E-flat major, rondo form, with the first trio in A-flat major and the second trio in B-flat major, 3/4)
6. Allegro (E-flat major, sonata rondo form, 6/8): a Rondo, ends with hornlike fanfares
Divertimento Genre
- The mood of the divertimento is most often lighthearted (as a result of being played at social functions) and it is generally composed for a small ensemble.
- Divertimento is used to describe a wide variety of instrumental works for soloist or chamber ensemble. After 1780, the term generally designated works that were informal or light.
- As a separate genre, it appears to have no specific form, although most of the divertimenti of the second half of the 18th century go either back to a dance suite approach, or take the form of other chamber music genres of their century. There are many other terms which describe music similar to the divertimento, including serenade, cassation, notturno, Nachtmusik; after about 1780, the divertimento was the term most commonly applied to this light, “after-dinner” and often outdoor music. Divertimenti have from one to nine movements, and there is at least one example with thirteen.
- Other composers of divertimenti include Leopold Mozart, Carl Stamitz, Haydn and Boccherini.
- Several examples exist from the 20th century, including works by Sergei Prokofiev, Béla Bartók, Benjamin Britten, and Leonard Bernstein. Igor Stravinsky also arranged a divertimento from his ballet to music of Tchaikovsky, Le baiser de la fée.
13
Q
How many string trios did Beethoven write? Name each and describe one.
A
Beethoven wrote 5 string trios, and 1 movement for string trio.
- Opus 3: String Trio No. 1 in E-flat major (1794)
- Opus 8: String Trio No. 2 (“Serenade”) in D major (1797): The piece is in 6 movements: Marcia - Menuetto - Adagio & Scherzo - Allegretto alla Polacca - Andante quasi Alegretto - Marcia
- Opus 9: Three String Trios (1798)
- No. 1: String Trio No. 3 in G major
- No. 2: String Trio No. 4 in D major
- No. 3: String Trio No. 5 in C minor
- Hess 28: Movement in A-flat for String Trio
String Trio No. 5 in c (1798)
- The last trio, in C minor, brings the most energy and novelty with highly passionate tone. C minor is one of Beethoven’s most important keys. Three of his piano sonatas and the fifth symphony was written in C minor, for instance. This trio invokes those later works’ power and peculiar character so typical of Beethoven. Dynamic effects, sharp contrasts in rhythm, harmonic confrontations among other means of music provide momentum and the tone of anxiety.
- The C minor trio is perhaps the most striking trio of the Op.9 set of string trios which is in itself a remarkable testimony to Beethoven’s precocious ability as a composer at a period when he was yet to write his first string quartets.
- Allegro con spirito (6/8, C minor, sonata form): The first movement makes much of the interval of an augmented second, heard in the descending figuration at the outset, the first four notes of the descending harmonic minor scale. Sforzando chords herald the E flat major second subject, presented by the violin and echoed by the viola and then by the cello, with the thematic material developed and repeated in varied form in recapitulation.
- Adagio con espressione (common time, C major, variations?): The C major second movement, marked Adagio con espressione, starts softly with separated chords, but soon leads to a dynamic contrast and a repetition of the theme, that had first been entrusted to the violin, by the viola. The movement again brings dialogue between the instruments and always a fullness of texture belied by the medium of the string trio.
- The original key of C minor is restored in the Scherzo, framing a C major Trio. The scherzo is characterized by sudden changes of dynamic. Beethoven displaces the sense of meter by placing hemiolas with sforzandos which start on the 2nd 8th note of measures. The trio consists of fast ascending arpeggios, one of which flies up to a high C in the cello.
- The work ends with a rapid sonata-form movement, alla breve and making use of rhythmically contrasting triplet figuration at the outset (contrasting later duple 8th notes). The movement provides a suitably original ending to a group of works that not only suggests something of what is to come but offers a significant achievement in itself.
14
Q
Name one clarinet trio ca.1785-1814.
A
Ludwig van Beethoven: Trio in B-flat for piano, clarinet, and cello, No.4, Op.11 (1797)
15
Q
Name one miscellaneous septet ca.1785-1814. Include the exact instrumentation and the number of movements.
A
Ludwig van Beethoven: Septet in E-flat for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, Op.20 (1800)
6 movements
- Adagio – Allegro con brio (in E-flat major)
- Adagio cantabile (in A-flat major)
- Tempo di menuetto (in E-flat major)
- Tema con variazioni: Andante (in B-flat major)
- Scherzo: Allegro molto e vivace (in E-flat major)
- Andante con moto alla marcia (in E-flat minor) – Presto (in E-flat major)
The overall layout resembles a serenade and is in fact more or less the same as that of Mozart’s string trio, K. 563 in the same key, but Beethoven expands the form by the addition of substantial introductions to the first and last movements and by changing the second minuet to a scherzo.
