Ravel - String Quartet - Movement II

Question 1

What is ‘Point 1’ to be made about structure in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 1

It uses a Ternary Form (ABA)

Question 2

What is ‘Point 2’ to be made about structure in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 2

The B section is half the speed of the A section

Question 3

What is ‘Point 3’ to be made about structure in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 3

The piece moves quite far in terms of key. It starts in Aeolian [a natural minor] mode and moves to Eb in the B section.

Question 4

What is ‘Point 4’ to be made about structure in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 4

It has many motivic links to the A material

Question 5

What is ‘Point 5’ to be made about structure in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 5

There are extensive links back to the final A section using material from both previous sections.

Question 6

What is ‘Point 1’ to be made about harmony and tonality in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 6

Broadly tonal with modal inflections

Question 7

What is ‘Point 2’ to be made about harmony and tonality in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 7

It frequently uses Aeolian and Dorian Modes with some subtle use of wholetone scale (bar.8)

Question 8

What is ‘Point 3’ to be made about harmony and tonality in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 8

Unusual resolution of augmented sixth to I at the end (usually goes to V)

Question 9

What is ‘Point 4’ to be made about harmony and tonality in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 9

When the violin descends chromatically at the end of the first A section, there is a series of added note chords.

Question 10

What is ‘Point 5’ to be made about harmony and tonality in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 10

The end of the movement has increasing chromaticism

Question 11

What is ‘Point 1’ to be made about melody and rhythm in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 11

Regular phrases (usually 2 or 4 bars)

Question 12

What is ‘Point 2’ to be made about melody and rhythm in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 12

Quite conventional melodies; conjunct with the occasional leap

Question 13

What is ‘Point 3’ to be made about melody and rhythm in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 13

Repitition of melodic/rhythmic motifs in the melody

Question 14

What is ‘Point 4’ to be made about melody and rhythm in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 14

Relatively diatonic to begin with, however becomes more chromatic as the movement progresses.

Question 15

What is ‘Point 5’ to be made about melody and rhythm in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 15

Motivic material is used to bridge sections and transition back to the final A section

Question 16

What is ‘Point 1’ to be made about texture and sonority in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 16

Big emphasis on colour and effect as it is Impressionist.

Question 17

What is ‘Point 2’ to be made about texture and sonority in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 17

Use of full string quartet pizzicato at the beginning.

Question 18

What is ‘Point 3’ to be made about texture and sonority in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 18

Tremolos and rapid repeated figures in the second idea of the A section

Question 19

What is ‘Point 4’ to be made about texture and sonority in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 19

At the beginning of the B section, the cello has the melody whilst the violin II has the bass part with the viola in the middle (i.e. the texture is completely upside-down)

Question 20

What is ‘Point 5’ to be made about texture and sonority in Ravel’s String Quartet?

Answer 20

The string writing requires a wide range of techniques and effects from tremolo, though rapid arpeggio figures to the use of mutes