To n a l M u s i c A n a l y s i s

Pa p e r A s s i g n m e n t # 2

Fr a n z S c h u b e r t : S t r i n g Q u a r t e t i n a m i n o r D 8 0 4 ,
mvt.1

The String Quartet N o. 13 in A

minor (the Rosamunde Quartet) Op. 29 was written in 1824
and it is one of the works that display cyclic elements
( w o r k s i n w h i c h t w o o r m o re m o v e m e n t s a re re l a t e d , g i v i n g
t h e s e n s e o f u n i t y ) . I n t h i s c a s e – t h e A- m i n o r Q u a r t e t , t h e
t h i rd a n d f o r t h m o v e m e n t s a re re l a t e d : a m o t i v e f r o m t h e
M i n u e t ( 3 rd m v t ) i s t a ke n b y t h e fi n a l m o v e m e n t , b e c o m i n g
t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t fi g u re i n i t . T h e Ro s a m u n d e t h e m e ,
t h o u g h , b e g i n s t h e s e c o n d m o v e m e n t , a n d i t t a ke s u s e v e n
i n a d a r ke r p l a c e t h a n t h e fi r s t t h e m e o f t h e q u a r t e t d o e s ,
in the Allegro ma non troppo.
E v e n f ro m t h e v e r y b e g g i n i n g , w e a re i n t ro d u c e d t o t h e
sense of melancholy and grief – the second violin, the viola
a n d c e l l o p l a y t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t w o m e a s u re s i n re p e a t e d
re s t l e s s o r a l m o s t d e s p e r a t e fi g u re s , T h e t h e m e t h a t c o m e s
w i t h t h e fi r s t v i o l i n i s l y r i c a l , m o u r n f u l , r i s e s a n d f a l l s i n
cyclic shapes.

A l o n g w i t h t h e fi r s t t h e m e , t h e e x p o s i t i o n b e g i n s ( 3 r d
m e a s u re ) . Tw o l o n g p h r a s e s c o m p o s e t h e t h e m e : t h e fi r s t i s
a 2 + 2 + 4 , e n d i n g u p i n a c a d e n c e t h a t a l l o w s t h e re t u rn i n g
o f t h e fi r s t t h e m a t i c fi g u re . A l t h o u g h t h e t e x t u r a l a n d
r y t h m i c a l t e c h n i q u e re m a i n s t h e s a m e i n t h i s s e c o n d
p h r a s e , t h e h a rm o n y w i l l d e v e l o p d i ff e re n t l y ( m e a s u re 1 5 ,
m e a s u re 1 9 ) e n d i n g i n t h e d o m i n a n t ( m . 2 0 ) , f r o m w h e re i t
w i l l m o d u l a t e t o t h e h o m o n i m e ke y o f A m i n o r , t h ro u g h a
o n e - b a r m a j o r s c a l e ( m . 2 2 ) . T h e re i s n o s t r o n g c a d e n c e t o
a n n o u n c e t h e e n d i n g o f t h e fi r s t t h e m e , b u t , u n u s u a l l y , t h e
t r a n s i t i o n f o l l o w s i n a d i ff e re n t ke y ( A m a j o r ) b e g g i n i n g i n
t h e s a m e fi g u re a n d t e x t u re l i ke i n t h e fi r s t t h e m e .
The second theme comes suddenly, unex plectedly, in the
o r i g i n a l ke y – A m i n o r – w i t h a c h a n g e o f a t m o s p h e re
t h ro u g h t h e a c c e n t s , t r i l l s a n d t r i o l e t p r o g re s s i o n . T h e fi r s t
phrase of second theme construction is 2+2+4+one
p ro l o n g a t i o n m e a s u re i n w h i c h i n c i s i v e c h o rd s a re p l a y e d ,
also introducing the second phrase of the theme, which is
m o re e m p h a t i c . T h e re i s a c h i l l i n g p a s s a g e f o l l o w i n g a ft e r
t h e s e c o n d t h e m e i s p l a y e d , d e v e l o p i n g i n s y m i l a r fi g u re s
( m e a s u re 5 1 ) , t o w h i c h a p ro l o n g a t i o n i s a d d e d , m o d u l a t i n g
t o C m a j o r - t h e re l a t i v e ke y o f t h e A m i n o r ( m . 5 5 - 5 8 ) . T h e
p a s s a g e e n d s w i t h a f e r m a t a i n a h a l f- c a d e n c e .
Af t e r t h i s c a e s u r a , c o m e s a l y r i c a l , c o m f o r t i n g m a t e r i a l i n C
m a j o r , re m i n d i n g u s o f t h e s e c o n d t h e m e . A n o t h e r s e c t i o n
in which the the second theme i s re i n t r o d u c e d ( b a r 6 9 )
f o l l o w s , t h i s t i m e i n t h e re l a t i v e ke y C m a j o r a n d w i t h s l i g h t
d i ff e re n c e s . I t e n d s w i t h a s t r o n g c a d e n c e ( b a r 8 0 ) . C o d e t t a
b e g i n s a ft e r t h e C m a j o r c a d e n c e - t h e m a j o r ke y i s s e t t l e d
a n d w i l l re m a i n u n t i t h e e n d o f t h e e x p o s i t i o n ( b a r 1 0 0 ) .
T h e re i s a m o d u l a t i n g t r a n s i t i o n t o t h e a c t u a l d e v e l o p m e n t
s e c t i o n , f ro m b a r 1 0 1 t o 1 1 3 : i n 1 1 2 t h e h a l f c a d e n c e ’ s
d o m i n a n t i s f o r t h e D m i n o r , t h e ke y i n w h i c h t h e fi r s t
t h e m e c o m e s a g a i n i n 1 1 3 . T h e fi r s t t h e m e c o m e s i n t h e
very same way it did in the opening of the piece, that is,
a ft e r t w o b a r s o f i n t r o d u c t i o n . B e g g i n i n g i n b a r 1 2 1 , t h e
t h e m e ’ s n o rm a l c o u r s e b re a k s i n t o a s u d d e n c h a n g e o f
tonality (F minor).
Almost the whole development section borrows frames and
m o t i v e s f ro m t h e fi r s t a n d s e c o n d t h e m e s ; t h e i n s t a b i l i t y
common to this middle section of the sonata is given by the
d i ff e re n t „ fl a v o u r s ” o f t h e d i ff e re n t t o n a l i t i e s t h a t b u i l d t h e
c l i m a x i n 1 4 4 – a v e r y t e n s i o n e d c h o rd . ( F I L L I N ! ! ! )

W h a t ’ s l e ft a ft e r t h e „ s t o r m ” i s a re c a l l o f e v e r y t h i n g t h a t
h a p p e n e d – t h e a c c o m p a n i a m e n t m o t i v e o f t h e fi r s t t h e m e
i s p l a y e d f o r a l o n g t i m e i n t h e l o w e r v o i c e s , w h i l e t h e fi r s t
violin plays the transitive material p re c e e d i n g the
development section. This section can be called the
re t r a n s i t i o n ; i t i s s m o o t h l y l e a d i n g t o t h e o r i g i n a l ke y ,
w h e re t h e re c a p i t u l a t i o n b e g i n s .

T h e Re e x p o s i t i o n i s f a i t h f u l t o t h e e x p o s i t i o n , b u t t h e
t r a n s i t i o n c o m e s e a r l i e r , i n 1 8 2 , w i t h n o c h a n g e i n re l a t i o n
t o t h e o n e i n t h e e x p o s i t i o n - s i n c e i t w a s a l re a d y a
m o d u l a t o r y o n e - a n d a l s o , re g a rd i n g t h e s e c o n d t h e m e ,
o n l y t h e h a rm o n y i s c h a n g e d . T h e s t r u c t u re c o n t i n u e s t o
follow the one we saw in the exp osition, with changes in
t h e ke y re g i o n a n d b e t w e e n t h e i n s t r u m e n t s – t h e l o w e r
v o i c e s i n t e rc h a n g e m a t e r i a l w i t h t h e u p p e r v o i c e s .

One uncommon thing occuring is that the transition and the

fi r s t p a r t o f t h e d e v e l o p m e n t s e c t i o n f o l l o w u p t h e
re e x p o s i t i o n b e f o re t h e c o d a t a ke s t h e fi r s t theme’s
m a t e r i a l f o u r s y s t e m s ( B A R ) b e f o re t h e e n d i n g , a n d t h e
s e c o n d t h e m e ’ s re m i n d e d f o u r b a r s b e f o re t h e e n d i n g . C o d a
is summing up the most important ideas in the piece, but
f o re m o s t , i t b r i n g s t h e o r i g i n a l ke y b a c k , re t u rn i n g t o t h e
g l o o m y , m e l a n c h i l i c a t m o s p h e re i n t h e o p e n i n g , o n c e a n d
for all.
A t o v e r 1 3 m i n u t e s , t h e fi r s t m o v e m e n t i s a s l o n g a s a n y
two of the other movements, and very wide in scope
d r a m a t i c a l l y a n d e m o t i o n a l l y. O f n o t e , i t d o e s n o t c o n t a i n
any of Schubert 's driving rhythmic vitality, but seems
h a l t i n g a n d e v e n i n s i s t e n t l y m o ro s e , fi n a l l y re t u r n i n g t o t h e
o p e n i n g q u a v e r i n g a n d m o u rn f u l t h e m e a t i t s e n d .

O v e r s h a d o w e d b y t h e m o re d r a m a t i c q u a r t e t s t h a t s u r ro u n d
it chronologically, the 13th quartet is notable for its suave
b u t d a r k - t i n g e d re s e r v e , a d e l i c a c y o f a t m o s p h e re , t e x t u re
a n d S c h u b e r t ’ s i r re p re s s i b l e s i g n a t u re : d e l i c i o u s l y r i c i s m .