Shost - String Quartet No. 8 Flashcards
What notes are the cipher on?
D-Eb-C-D spelling ‘DSCH’
When composed?
1960
Instrumentation
String Quartet
Form
Arch Form: A 0-27 B 28-50 C 50-86 B' 87-104 A' 104-126
What does every section end in other than B’?
The name motif
Does it use any particular string effects?
No. lol
Melody includes quotations from:
First Symphony Violin 1 Bar 13
Fifth Symphony Violin 1 Bar 63
What are melodic lines often based around?
The name cipher
Tell me about how the motif is used
Augmented Bar 79
Used partially cello 104-5
Imitated opening bars
Re-ordered v2 bar 68, viola 95-98 Am
Are melodic lines conjunct?
Yes, mostly stepwise movement
What emphasises the gloomy mood?
The low tessitura of the instruments (eg at opening)
Variety of textures including:
Imatative/Contrapuntal opening Two part counterpoint 19-22 Pedal notes 28-45 Homophony 23-27 Homorhythm 79-81 Duet above pedal notes 52-87 Each instrument contributes to texture and has fairly equal weight (eg V2 52-67)
How are the dynamics?
Quiet overall to reflect the gloomy mood
What’s different about the dynamic of the motif
Louder (eg 23-24)
What is the time sig
4/4 but feels like 2/2 because of long note values, slow tempo, metro mark
Variety in note values?
No, mainly quavers crotches and semibreves with occasional dotted rhythms
What is the key?
Cm
What makes key ambiguous
Third sometimes left out (bar 26) but perfect cadences emphasise C tonal centre (120-124)
What is sometimes used instead of minor chord
Unexpected major
What is used to enforce the key?
Tonic and Dom Pedals
What makes the tonality muddy in the beginning
Use of all chromatic notes within the first 7 bars and chromatic melodic lines
What confuses the tonality?
Chords shifting around eg 13-16
When does tonality become clearer
bar 26+
WHat key is Bar 26 onwards
Mainly Cm other than brief Am bar 86
