TheCollegeofSaintRose

MusicDepartment

AGENERALANALYSISOFFRANZSCHUBERTS
STRINGQUINTETINCMAJOR,D.956:FIRSTMOVEMENT

ATERMPAPERSUBMITTEDINPARTIALFULFILLMENT
FORTHECOURSE:

MUS202:FormandAnalysis
Dr.Bebe

by

AlyssaGallagher,Classof2017
Spring2015
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Although music exists as an art, it is also a reflection of culture and community. This is

especially apparent in the life of Franz Schubert (1797-1828). While living in Vienna, Schubert

hosted chamber music parties called Schubertiades. These gatherings were hosted at the

various homes of Schuberts friends and gave him the opportunity to premier his newest works

(The Schubertiades). It is no wonder that Schubert was so prolific in his short life given the

strong support the Schubertiades engendered. Small gatherings and house parties thrown for the

sake of music is a recurring theme throughout history: rent parties in Harlem during the 1920s

helped to popularize jazz while modern house music has evolved electronic music genres. These

genres may initially appear to be unrelated, but parallels can be drawn between the elements of

each (Thomason, Way).

Quintet in C Major was composed late in Schuberts life and was completed only two

months prior to his death. Although the quintet was premiered well after Schuberts death in

1850, it is now regarded as a masterpiece chamber work (Thomason). Quintet in C Major and

Schuberts other works undoubtedly have had a profound influence on the classical music that

succeeded them; however, Quintet in C Major also displays elements which can be found in

popular genres such as jazz and electronic music through its use of rhythmic motion, song-like

melodies, and unconventional harmonies. This is a testament to the universal nature of music and

entertainment.

The first movement of Quintet in C Major is in Sonata-Allegro form (see Example 1).1

1 Sonata-Allegro form is a typical structural pattern used to organize musical ideas similar to how an essay would
be formatted with an introduction of ideas (Exposition), expansion of these ideas (Development), and reiteration of
the original idea (Recapitulation).
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Example 1 Exposition Development Recapitulation Coda

Measures 1-154 155-266 267-414 415-445

It is the longest of the movements in the Quintet with an expansive exposition, but it has

relatively few themes considering its size. Schubert instead develops the few themes with

variations in accompaniment and instrument pairings. This is facilitated the pieces

instrumentation. By writing the quintet with two cellos rather than the typical two violas,2 it is

possible to create a richer and more balanced accompanimental sound when one cello takes on a

melodic role that is reminiscent of symphonic rather than chamber music (Thomason). One

particularly effective example of this is in m.159-160 of the Development where the Viola and

Cello 1 harmonize while Cello 2 stabilizes the harmonies with a C pedal. Also, parallel period

phrase structure3 establishes a base around which variations can be built. This can be seen in

Secondary Theme 1 beginning in m.60. The cellos play a melody which is phrased in period

form that is then repeated by the violins beginning in m.81. This structure helps to create

continuity between the separate but similar phrases (Absil).

Throughout the length of the first movement of Quintet in C Major, the rhythmic motion

is the driving force in each theme area. This is done through individual rhythms and overall

rhythmic trends. Measure 19-20 introduces the agogic4 rhythmic motive of a sixteenth note

pickup leading into a longer note, in this case a dotted half note. This motive can be seen

frequently within the movement and helps to build tension. For example, in m.167-173 in the

development the agogic motive is repeated in the Violin 1 part on a pedal C-sharp. The sixteenth
2 String quartets are a far more prominent medium of composition; a quintet would already be unusual, but using
two cellos is even more unconventional.
3 Parallel period refers to how melodies are treated. It is analogous to sentence structure where a dependent clause
is answered by an independent one.
4 Accenting a note by delaying its attack.
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note anticipates the stronger downbeats and creates a sense of forward motion. The agogic

pickup motive can also be seen in the the march-like theme in the coda of the Exposition and

where this material is expanded upon in the Development. The dotted eighth and sixteenth note

pattern beginning in m.142 gives the coda momentum into the Development after an expansive

Exposition. The grace note motive which starts in m.140 has this effect as well by anticipating

the downbeats. The accompanimental lines of the Development also use this agogic motive.

Cello 2 begins this in m.157 with a sixteenth note pickup.5 It aids in creating forward momentum

in a piece which could easily become stagnant due to its length.

Schubert also juxtaposes different rhythmic accompaniments in order to create forward

motion and a sense of tension and release. The technique Schubert employs can be found in

modern electronic music and is commonly referred to as a drop. According to Sami Yenigun of

National Public Radio, a drop is the moment in a dance track when tension is released and the

beat kicks in... releasing the enormous energy accrued during a song's progression (Yenigun). A

simple example of this in Quintet in C Major is found in in the Secondary Themes from m.58-

119. Secondary Theme 1 begins with eighth note accompaniment. When the violins take over the

melody in m.81, the accompaniment becomes triplets.6 When Secondary Theme 2 is introduced,

the motion of the accompaniment is in sixteenth notes. The trend of increased motion in the

accompaniment builds tension until m.119 when all accompanimental motion stops and the

Violin 1 plays a descending scale, literally dropping. This scale repeats and then a stable triplet

accompaniment pattern is established. Another example of this is in the Primary and Transition

Themes. Schubert chooses to begins the movement atypically with no rhythmic motion

whatsoever. Motion is gradually incorporated and increased until a drop before Secondary

5 A weak note which precedes a stronger downbeat; anacrusis

6 Triplets divide the beat into three.
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Theme 1. The agogic motive begins the motion in m.19 and is developed until m.33 where an

eighth note accompaniment pattern is established. This gives way to a triplet accompaniment in

m.49 when the Transition Theme begins. The accompaniment in the Transition Themes

incorporates additional tension by rising chromatically every two beats.7 This tension culminates

in m.37 with an authentic cadence8 in G Major followed by a fully diminished chord9 that

resolves again to G Major. These chords break up the motion of the accompaniment and release

the tension that has been built thus far. Through common tone modulation,10 the music then

drops to the lyrical melody of Secondary Theme 1.

The drop technique can be seen frequently throughout modern electronic music. For

example, Boneless, produced by Steve Aoki in 2013, begins with a drop sequence in the first

20 bars (Yenigun). It starts with a quarter note bass line, but additional voices are incorporated

while the rhythmic motion increases gradually until there are 32nd notes in every voice. The beat

then drops into a melodic line with rhythmically consistent accompaniment in a way that is

reminiscent of the way in which the Primary Theme drops into Secondary Theme 1 (see Example

2). Thus, one can see the similarities in technique used by Schubert and modern electronic music

artists.

The melodies in Quintet in C Major have a song-like quality that is characteristic of

Schubert. As one of the most prolific composers of lieder, Schubert is a master of writing in a

way that is conducive to singing (Sherrane). This is especially apparent in the Secondary Theme

area. Secondary Theme 1 begins with a lyrical melody in the cellos in a comfortable singing

range. The harmonies have an added richness due to the doubling of the cello timbre while the

7 Chromatic motion refers to playing every semitone, which is the smallest distance between notes in traditional
Western music.
8 A strong conclusion to a phrase.
9 An unstable chord.
10 Changing the key center by holding one pitch that is shared by both keys.
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accompaniment is incredibly light, allowing the melody to float over the other voices. Schubert

then explores this melody with different variations. First, he passes the melodic line to the violins

in m.79. Then, in m.100, Violin 1 begins a canon11 with the Viola in a slightly altered repetition

of the melody (Thomason). This theme and variation-style writing is reminiscent of a strophic12

lied. The same melody is used for each verse while the instrumentation changes similarly to

how lyrics would be altered.

Example 2

Bonelessm. 1-45-89-1213-1620-Quarter NotesSixteenth NotesChromatically Rising Dotted Eighth

Notes32nd Notes in All VoicesBass MelodyQuintetPT1 m.1-2526-3233-4849-58ST1 m.58Little
MotionAgogic MotiveEighth NotesChromatically Rising TripletsCello Melody

The orchestration of two cellos is what give Quintet in C Major its unique and

revolutionary sound and facilitates its distinctive melodies. One of the many examples of this is

in m.217-238 of the Development. The additional cello allows for two distinct accompanimental

figures while violin 1 plays a floating melody. Violin 2 and cello 2 establish a solid tonal center

with an ostinato13 line while the viola and cello 1 harmonize flowing accompanimental quarter

notes. These layers create a richness which accentuates the lyrical melody of violin 1. The vocal

qualities of Schuberts music can be more literally found in the jazz music of rent parties. Rent

parties were popular in Harlem during the Great Depression as a way to pay for the rising rent
11 Where the same music is played at different times; a round, for example.
12 In vocal music where the same music is given different text.
13 Repeated
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rates. They were integral in the popularization of jazz; local musicians were hired as

entertainment. Fats Waller was a jazz pianist and vocalist associated with rent parties (Fats

Waller). The melodies of his songs were simple yet effective as with the melody of Secondary

Theme 1. Wallers composition Honeysuckle Rose (see Example 3) is in a similar range and

rhythmic complexity to the cello melody. The singing melodies of each make the pieces

entertaining and memorable to the listener, an important quality whether the purpose is to amuse

friends or to make enough money to pay for rent.

While many of the techniques Schubert uses can be found in popular music, it is his

harmonic language that has most greatly influenced the world of classical music. Schubert is a

crucial composer in the transition from the Classical to the Romantic era in his use of key

relationships and incidental tonality. From the beginning of the first movement, Schubert avoids

typical harmonies. The first chord is an expected C Major chord, it moves to a common tone

fully diminished seventh chord that resolves to a C Minor chord. This atypical harmony and

mode mixture avoids a strong pull toward C Major.14 Another area where the tonal center is

blurred is in the Development. The section begins in A Major, but after the unison chromatic

triplets in m.175-188 tonicizes15 D-flat, a chromatic mediant16 of A. This results in the strange

progression of G-flat/D-flat/D-flat Minor (C-sharp Minor)/ A in m.193-199. These chords do not

function in a traditional way, but they still create a pleasing coloristic progression (Absil). This is

because Schubert does not solely employ diatonicism. Rather, sequences, smooth voicing, and

14 A piece which is in C Major typically will not include C Minor chords since they are in different modes. The
term mode refers to the type of scale which is being used. Traditionally, Western music up to this point did not
exhibit this type of mode mixture.
15 The tonic is the strongest note or chord in a key center and gives it its name; for example, C is the tonic of C
Major. Tonicizing means to temporarily make a new key center.
16 Mediant relationships refer to chords based on tonics a third away from each other.
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Example 3 Honeysuckle Rose

Secondary Theme 1

chromaticism determine the harmonies.17 The progressions are often an incidental result of these

factors. Schubert also uses coloristic chords out of their typical function in moments of extreme

drama. For example, in m.118, he uses a Neapolitan Sixth chord at the peak of the phrase and

holds it for the entire measure. Neapolitan chords are generally used in order to create a stronger

pull to the tonic, but Schubert uses one here in order to sustain tension and blur the tonic (Absil).

While each individual harmony may be incidental at times, the larger key centers are

integral to the form and character of the Quintet in C Major. In typical Sonata-Allegro

form, the Exposition begins with the Primary Theme or Themes in the tonic key and

transitions to the dominant18. However, the Exposition of Quintet in C Major alters this.

The piece begins vaguely in C Major. The Transition Theme briefly tonicizes the

dominant with a pedal tone G in m.49- 58. However, it modulates using the G as a

common tone in order to reach E-flat Major. This has a chromatic mediant relationship

17 Coloristic chord progressions do not adhere to traditional chord analysis and attempts at analyzing them as such
are overly complex and ultimately misleading. Diatonicism refers to the use of major and minor tonalities without
too much variance.
18 The V of a key center; has a strong pull to the tonic.
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to the tonic key and is atypical of Sonata-Allegro form. Yet it is only a brief deviance;

Secondary Theme 2 modulates to G Major, which has a chromatic mediant relationship

to E-flat Major and a dominant relationship to C Major. Since the Recapitulation of this

theme has to result in the tonic key, Schubert adds new material in m.290-294 in order

to be able achieve the chromatic mediant relationship between the intermediary key

center and the final key. The recapitulation of Secondary Theme 1 ends up being in A-

flat Major in order to attain this result. The key relationship of the Exposition to the

Development is also worth noting. The Exposition ends on an accented G dominant

chord, which makes diatonic sense when repeating to the beginning of the movement.

When moving to the Development though, it is less clear. The Development begins in A

Major, another chromatic mediant of C Major. However, the since the Exposition ends on

a G dominant chord, this is a less smooth transition. Schubert cleverly moves the G to a

G-sharp, making a fully diminished G-sharp chord that tonicizes A Major (see Example 4). The

Development ends on a G dominant chord in order to transition back to the tonic key for the

Recapitulation. The harmonic language and key relationships Schubert used influenced

composers of the Romantic era and continue to influence contemporary composers. One example

of Schuberts influence is in the Romantic compositions of Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). His

influence on harmonic language is apparent in the Allegro Appassionato of Brahmss

Clarinet Sonata No. 2, Op. 120. It begins in E-flat minor but flows between this and A-flat major

(see Example 5). This is reminiscent of Schuberts deviation from traditional diatonic harmony

and demonstrates his far-reaching influence.

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Schuberts Quintet in C Major is a chamber music masterpiece. Schubertiades gave

Schubert the opportunity to premier many of his works and provided motivation to create

compositions that were engaging. It also exposed people to music of great quality in a casual

setting. By studying his quintet in relation to pieces of different genres and time periods, one can

begin to see some of the universal elements of entertaining music. Electronic music and jazz are

prime examples of this since they thrive on live audiences. In a time where many classically

trained musicians lament the lack of support for art music, it is crucial to critically look at the

way in which the music is presented to its audiences. Schubert was a talented composer, but

more importantly he was an entertainer. Modern musicians and composers should think critically

about his legacy when considering their own; it could provide the answer for how to excite the

world in regard to classical music.

Example
5 Allegro Appassionato
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Example 4
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Works Cited

Absil, Frans. "String Quintet in C Major Op.163,D956." Musical Analysis: Visiting the

Great Composers. 5th ed. Netherlands: n.p., 2015. 251-60. Print.

Brahms, Johannes. "Clarinet Sonata No.2, Op.120 No.2 (Brahms, Johannes)." IMSLP/Petrucci

Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr.

2015.

"Fats Waller." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"Honeysuckle Rose." NMS. Kmlinux, n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.

Paul Thomason. "Franz Schubert-Quintet in C Major for Strings, D. 956." Paul Thomason-

Writer. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.

"The Schubertiades." WQXR - New York's Classical Music Radio Station. WQXR, 11

Apr. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Schubert, Franz. "String Quintet, D.956 (Schubert, Franz)." IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library:

Free Public Domain Sheet Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.

Sherrane, Robert. "The Classical or Viennese Period." Music History 102. N.p., n.d. Web. 29

Apr. 2015.

Way, Joseph. "Franz Schubert." Sierra Chamber Society. N.p., 1997. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

Yenigun, Sami. "The 5 Deadliest Drops Of 2010." NPR. NPR, 31 Dec. 2010. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.