PIANO QUARTET NO. 1 in G MINOR, OP. 25
Recording: Emanuel Ax, piano; Isaac Stern, violin; Jaime Laredo, viola;
Yo-Yo Ma, cello [Sony S2K 45846]
Published 1863.
Dedicated to Baron Reinhard von Dalwigk
This is an extremely
significant work in Brahms’s compositional development, one of the
earliest masterpieces of the Hamburg second period (the “first
maturity”). The pair of quartets for piano and strings, Opp. 25
and 26, are of huge proportions, expanding even on already large works
such as the F-minor piano sonata, B-major piano trio, and B-flat major
string sextet. (The second quartet, Op. 26 in A major, is a more
“pastoral” counterpart to the “tragic/heroic” Op. 25.) Each
movement is laid out on an enormous scale. The first movement of
the G-minor work is the earliest example of an approach to sonata form
which Brahms would make a personal trademark: bringing back the
unaltered principal theme at the beginning of the development section
and abbreviating the recapitulation accordingly. The concept was
not yet polished. The gigantic, sprawling exposition is
unparalleled in later works, and because of this, the recapitulation is
altered to a greater extent than would become common later. It is
perhaps his darkest, most tragic instrumental movement to date.
As in the B-major trio, the scherzo/trio-type movement was placed
second, and was originally titled “Scherzo,” but Brahms re-titled it
“Intermezzo” because of its large layout and subdued character.
It would also become a sort of model for later “scherzo
substitutes.” Although the main theme of the slow movement is
intensely lyrical, the piece is most notable for its extended and
brilliant central triple-time march. The finale, a virtuoso
showpiece, is the composer’s most sectionalized Rondo form and an early
example of explicitly gypsy-inspired music, a style that would serve
him well throughout his career. The “Gypsy Rondo” was praised by
his Hungarian violinist friend Joseph Joachim (who thought the first
movement undisciplined) as an accurate imitation of Hungarian
idioms. Its sectionalized nature balances the organically
developmental first movement. Rarely did Brahms write anything
quite as viscerally exciting as the last two pages. Arnold
Schoenberg was especially fond of this quartet. He used it as an
example of Brahms’s early approach to what he called “developing
variation.” He arranged the piece for full orchestra, skillfully
coloring such passages as the slow movement’s march section.
ONLINE
SCORE FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut
Lübeck)
1st
Movement: Allegro (Sonata-Allegro form). G MINOR, 4/4 time.
EXPOSITION
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1: Part 1. A
quietly winding bare unison pattern is presented in three octaves by
the piano before it settles to a brief harmonized descent. Three
bars of the pattern move downward.
0:11 [m. 5]--The cello begins
the winding pattern a fifth higher, playing it over low piano octaves
and off-beat right hand harmonies. The pattern is passed after
two bars to the viola, and instead of moving downward, it moves
up. After one more bar, the main pattern is finally passed to the
violin, the cello joining in unison and the viola adding to the
harmony. The phrase comes to a complete, closed G-minor cadence
with a turn figure in the violin.
0:24 [m. 11]--Part 2.
Without any transition, this new idea begins in the related major key
of B-flat. The piano plays two sets of “sighing” chords against a
syncopated repeated-note pulsation in the cello. The two upper
strings play “sigh” figures in unison that overlap with the piano
statements. The piano then begins to play halting descents
harmonized in double sixths in both hands with some chromatic color
notes. The upper strings shadow this as well, but turn back
upward. The cello pulsations continue, but the upper strings
break into octave oscillations on B-flat.
0:36 [m. 17]--The strings now
begin pulsations together on groups of two repeated notes, the two
upper instruments still playing in unison. The piano continues to
play in sixths and thirds in both hands, leading with longer chords
toward an apparent arrival point in B-flat. This, however, is
interrupted.
0:44 [m. 21]--The cadence is
interrupted by the first loud dynamic marking in the movement.
All instruments play in unison (the piano in four octaves) on the
opening pattern, turning to B-flat minor. After one bar, there is
a sudden quiet as the strings drop out. When they enter, it is
without the violin. The instruments begin to harmonize and move
back to G minor. A crescendo
and loud descending chords lead to another arrival point in the home
key, the turn figure now played by the piano.
0:57 [m. 27]--Transition.
At the arrival point, the strings in unison begin to play the opening
winding pattern. The piano punctuates this with loud chords and
shorter upbeat figures. This breaks after three bars, with the
unison strings moving to two note “sigh” figures. The piano
upbeats, which are four-note trill-like figures, expand to the last
three beats. Then the short trill-like figures are passed to the
top two string instruments while the piano and cello play together on
powerful, somewhat dissonant chords.
1:13 [m. 35]--The short
four-note “trill” figures expand to include a downward leap and are
rapidly (and angrily) passed between the unison strings and piano
octaves. The harmony and key are moving toward the “dominant”
area of D for the second theme group.
1:24 [m. 41]--The opening
material based on the winding figure enters again in the upper
strings. These outbursts alternate with suddenly quiet rising
cello lines accompanied by descending piano chords. This passage is
extended a bit as the strings come together at the quieter volume level
and the piano chords begin to arch down and back up, then down
again. A violin trill marks the arrival on D that prepares for
Theme 2.
1:44 [m. 50]--Theme 2: Part
1. An expressive melody begins in the cello, somewhat
unexpectedly in the minor key. Descending piano arpeggios in
octaves accompany. The melody includes a prominent “turning”
figure. The piano breaks away from the octaves in favor of
arching double thirds (D minor).
1:54 [m. 54]--In the second
phrase, starting on upbeats, the violin joins the melody in unison with
the cello. The music has reached a louder level. The piano
breaks again into descending arpeggios over low bass octaves, expanding
them into triplet cross-rhythms against the strings. The
violin/cello melody descends to an apparently strong cadence that is
interrupted in a very similar manner to the one before 0:44 [m. 21].
2:04 [m. 59]--The melody is now
taken by the piano right hand in octaves. The pianist plays the
entire melody heard from the cello and violin, including the slight
buildup in the second phrase. The strings accompany, the viola
making its first appearance after a long rest at the beginning of the
theme group. The violin plays arching arpeggios in triplet
cross-rhythms. The cello plays mostly in “straight” rhythm,
joining the violin triplets once. The viola plays long double
notes and two-beat “sigh” figures. The expected cadence is not
interrupted this time, but is expanded after the arrival, with the low
bass piano octaves becoming more active and taking over the previous
descent.
2:25 [m. 69]--The violin
further expands the cadence gesture and broadens it even more into a
new ascending line in dotted (long-short) rhythm. The piano right
hand now plays decorative and winding arpeggios, sometimes
incorporating double-third harmony. The violin and piano right
hand exchange their music once (in m. 72). The piano bass and the
cello first imitate the violin, then expand the descending cadence
gesture in octaves against the new violin line. The viola plays
double-note figures beginning after the beat. The entire passage
swells greatly in volume.
2:38 [m. 75]--At the high
point, the strings join in unison, and the piano breaks into a rapid
arching figure. The material is twice exchanged between strings
and piano, the piano left hand taking the unison string music.
Finally, the strings drop out on a chord, and the piano breaks into a
huge sequential descent with the rapid trill-like figures in the right
hand and precipitous broken octaves in the left, moving to the major
key.
2:46 [m. 79]--Part 2. The
expressive melody is now played in a major-key variant by the violin
and viola in unison. It begins quietly but builds steadily.
The piano continues the rapid trill-like figures in a murmuring
manner. The cello, plucked, plays an oscillating bass with a
constant low note (A). The piano bass joins the cello. When
this constant bass note is abandoned after four bars, the cellist takes
the bow again. After the first phrase, the piano has a bridge
with rapid arching arpeggios, quieting down again (D major).
3:02 [m. 87]--The piano begins
to repeat the major-key melody, with the trill-like figures moving to
the viola and violin, the cello bowing notes in harmony with the piano,
but the piano’s statement “restarts” itself and takes a harmonic detour
to the key of F major as it builds.
3:13 [m. 92]--The piano adds a
new phrase to the melody, mostly played in octaves. It moves
quickly back to D and is passed to the strings in unison, the piano
playing full chords. The piano returns to octaves, the cello
doubling its left hand. The violin and viola continue to play in
unison against them. The music continues to build toward a climax
and moves to a strong arrival point as all four instruments harmonize.
3:31 [m. 101]--Part 3.
The viola plays a new, strongly lyrical melody, doubled and harmonized
by the piano and cello, the piano left hand and cello playing a sort of
“drone” bass.
3:44 [m. 107]--The violin
joins, doubling the viola an octave above. The exposition has now
reached its largest climax, and Brahms marks it animato. The strongly lyrical
melody is joyously expanded. The expected full cadence, however,
is aborted by a “deceptive” motion in the bass.
3:57 [m. 113]--The music
suddenly becomes more hushed, and the melody is further expanded by
passing fragments between the strings while the piano plays an
extension with heavy use of dotted rhythms. It appears to build
to another arrival, but is diverted again in the same way.
4:12 [m. 120]--The viola alone
takes the previous small fragments as the violin and cello play the
dotted-rhythm extension introduced by the piano. The piano bass
still participates in this, but the right hand begins to play
decorative descending arpeggios in triplet rhythm. The music
gradually quiets down, the piano begins to play repeated triplet
patterns, the strings come together, and after one more deceptive
motion, the full cadence in D major finally arrives in a subdued manner.
4:34 [m. 130]--Closing
section. The piano returns to the winding octaves of the
opening. The strings respond with harmonized two-note “sigh”
figures. Soon, the piano reverses these, and the
alternation is at a closer distance. Brahms begins to mix D minor
and D major here as he approaches another arrival point.
4:59 [m. 141]--The strings now
take up the opening pattern in unison octaves, the piano responding
with rippling arpeggios, the right hand playing triplets while the left
plays straight rhythms. As before, the alternation becomes closer
while major and minor begin to be mixed.
5:21 [m. 151]--The strings,
still playing in unison, begin to ascend in long notes, with a trill
leading to a strong, but gentle arrival point. The piano plays a
mixture of straight and triplet-rhythm arpeggios. The strings
begin to harmonize, and the piano plays a very light descent in double
notes in both hands. From here, the violin plays short cadence
gestures with short responses from the other strings and the
piano. The cadence gestures are passed first to the viola, then
the cello. The exposition ends in D major, but the cello’s
cadence gestures and the piano bass contain a dissonant note (E-flat)
that hints at the home key of G minor.
DEVELOPMENT
5:45 [m. 161]--The development
begins as if the exposition were to be repeated. The opening
piano octaves on the winding pattern are heard as at the beginning.
5:54 [m. 165]--Pattern passed
to the string instruments and arrival at a G-minor cadence, as at 0:11
[m. 5].
6:07 [m. 171]--Theme 1, Part 2
is played, again without any transition. Instead of a major key,
however, it is played in C minor,
giving it an entirely new character. This is the point where it
is clearly development and not repetition. The main ideas are
taken by the piano, which now dovetails with cello lines that invert
the descending piano motion. The “pulsating” syncopation is now
played by the viola in octaves. The violin is completely
absent. The viola and cello drop out, leaving the piano to play a
stark descent to the abyss in low octaves (still in C minor).
6:26 [m. 180]--In two
sequences, the trill-like figure is played three times: first quietly
and intensely by violin and cello in octaves over a held low piano
octave, then by the viola over a piano chord and held notes from the
other strings, and finally in a loud piano outburst, cascading down the
keyboard over leaping bass octaves. The first sequence swings
back toward G minor, the second to a new area, A minor. The
second sequence is not precisely analogous to the first, especially the
cascading piano line.
6:41 [m. 188]--A long series of
powerful interjections on weak beats. These consist of short
trill-like figures in octaves in the violin and cello, supported by
chords and double stops in the piano and viola. There are
similarities to the “winding” pattern of the main theme. The
strong beats are punctuated by low bass piano octaves. A
minor/major remains the primary key area. The viola participates
in the trill-like figures at the end of the passage. The violin
and cello simulate the previous “cascading” piano outburst with leaping
bass octaves, then pass it to the piano itself. The piano brings
the volume back down.
6:57 [m. 196]--The strings
begin to pass the “winding” pattern from the main theme to each other
over a continuous background of the trill-like figures in the piano
over supporting chords. The order is cello, violin, cello,
violin, viola, violin. Then, the strings, in pairs, move from A
minor to a warmer E major, first violin and viola, then viola and
cello, using the “harmonized descent” that follows the main
pattern. All three string instruments then move back to A minor
over the descent, the piano slowing to triplet octaves.
7:15 [m. 205]--With a quiet,
urgent, intensity, the violin and viola begin to play in tremolo. The cello takes the
winding main pattern. The piano also begins to play the pattern,
passing it between the hands. The cello then joins in the intense
tremolo, all instruments now
playing the main pattern in harmony over the piano bass. There is
a powerful crescendo as the
piano begins to play chords in the right hand. There is a strong
motion from A minor to E minor.
7:33 [m. 214]--At a huge
arrival point, the strings in unison play a powerful version of the
main pattern in E minor. This version includes a new downward
plunge subtly introduced by the piano bass in the last passage.
There follows a long transitional pattern. The piano right hand
begins to play fast broken octaves. Against them, the violin and
viola (in unison) and the cello and piano bass (also in unison, but not
with the upper strings), play metrically displaced versions of the main
pattern, the high strings beginning on the last beats of each bar, the
cello and piano bass beginning on the downbeats.
7:50 [m. 223]--Re-transition.
At the high point, the violin and viola again break into tremolo playing. The piano
bass and cello now begin to pass the thematic pattern between
them. The piano right hand slows from fast broken octaves to
descending arpeggios in triplet rhythm as the piano bass (now quite
low) and the cello come together again (on metrically displaced groups
of four, then three rising notes).
8:08 [m. 232]--After some
length, the music rapidly quiets down again. The long-range goal
of this passage and the last has been the preparatory “dominant”
harmony, D major. The tremolos end, as do the ever more hesitant
piano triplets. The strings are left alone for two unison plucked
D’s (the second without the violin).
RECAPITULATION
8:18 [m. 237]--Theme 1, Part
2. Since the opening material was used for most of the
development section, including being stated unaltered at its beginning,
it is omitted here. The theme is played in a direct transposition
to the home major key of G (where we would expect all themes in the
recapitulation) instead of the original B-flat. The cello has the
syncopated repeated-note pulsations, as in the exposition.
8:31 [m. 243]--Groups of two
repeated notes in the upper strings, long piano chords, and motion
toward an interrupted arrival point, as at 0:36 [m. 17].
8:39 [m. 247]--Theme 1, Part 2
continues with a new inserted extension in G major/minor. The
pulsating notes are moved to the piano bass, and the cello begins a
new, highly expressive melody that inverts the general descending
motion of Theme 1, Part 2. The upper strings join, adding many
chromatic notes and some syncopation, and all instruments settle to an
expectant arrival, the pulsating piano bass continuing on the
“dominant” note, D.
9:07 [m. 259]--The passage is
analogous to 0:44 [m. 21], with the unison octaves on the main winding
pattern and the rapid loud/soft alternation, then harmonization, crescendo, and arrival point, but
the beginning is on different pitches. Since Brahms is already in
G, there is no need to move back there, so the opening is altered to
avoid such a key change. The large arrival point is as in the
exposition.
9:19 [m. 265]--Transition.
As at 0:57 [m. 27], with no changes.
9:35 [m. 273]--Continuation of
transition material, with the first four bars unaltered from 1:13 [m.
35]. The last two bars of the passage, however, have altered
pitches and harmonies that effect an unexpected key change to E-flat
major. Then, the entire passage from 1:24 [m. 41], as well as all of Theme 2, Part 1 are
skipped. The passage merges directly into the sequential descent
with precipitous left hand octaves heard before 2:46 [m. 79]. In
total, 36 bars of exposition material have been simply excised here, as
opposed to the much smaller insertion of new material at 8:39 [m. 247].
9:51 [m. 281]--Theme 2, Part 2,
transposed to E-flat major from the D major of 2:46 [m. 79]. The
function of E-flat major is to give later emphasis to the minor version
of the key on G, which contains the note E-flat (a pitch not present in
pure G major). In most
cases, such a theme would be in the home major key in the
recapitulation, but such an analogy has already happened with Theme 1,
Part 2.
10:06 [m. 289]--Continuation of
Theme 2, Part 2 with the piano, as at 3:02 [m. 87], but with a new
harmonic detour and alteration suggesting a motion to D minor, and
extended by one bar.
10:18 [m. 295]--New piano
octave phrase from 3:13 [m. 92]. This phrase finally moves
definitively back to the home key of G minor. Aside from some
register shifts and other minor alterations, the most important
difference is that it is in minor instead of major. It is passed
to strings, as before, and leads toward the same strong cadence.
This time, the intensity surprisingly weakens at the cadence.
10:37 [m. 304]--Theme 2, Part
3. It is played in the home key of G minor and is drastically
altered. Instead of triumphant and full-hearted, it is now
mysterious and even ominous. The strings play it alone, the
violin taking the melody and alternating it with a constant low “drone”
on another string. The other two strings provide smooth harmonies.
10:52 [m. 310]--In a passage
analogous to 3:44 [m. 107], the piano joins in a cross-rhythm, the
right hand playing triplets and the left hand playing straight
rhythm. The piano lines are expressive and smooth, still in the
quiet, mysterious minor key. The violin continues with its melody
and “drone,” and the viola continues its slower smooth lines, but the
cello now plays isolated plucked notes.
11:07 [m. 316]--Analogous to
3:57 [m. 113]. There is less contrast here, since the music is
already quiet, but the minor key still lends it a darker
character. The piano plays largely the same music as in the
earlier passage, as do the strings, but the violin and viola now play
their fragments in triplet rhythm. The passage is abbreviated by
one bar.
11:21 [m. 322]--Analogous to
4:12 [m. 120]. Here, the music comes closer to the
exposition. The piano triplets and piano bass have the same
character, as does the violin melody (now doubled by viola instead of
cello). The cello line is less active than the viola line in the
earlier passage. The passage is the same length, but the
“deceptive” motion comes one bar earlier.
11:44 [m. 332]--Closing Section
in G minor. The piano returns to the winding main theme
Alternation with the string “sigh” figures. This passage is
exactly analogous to 4:34 [m. 130].
CODA
12:10 [m. 343]--The piano bass
begins to play the main “winding octave” theme. The strings
respond on the weak beats, the viola entering slightly earlier in
syncopation. The piano right hand plays in the triplet rhythm
with a strong upper voice projecting over the triplets. Two
isolated right hand figures on the weak beats alternate with three
smoother ones in the next bar. This alternation happens four
times. On the fifth “cycle” the groups of three are heard in both
bars, the violin and cello now alternating and dovetailing with the
piano on their own three-note groups. The passage steadily,
gradually, and powerfully increases in intensity. It is roughly
analogous to 4:59 [m. 141], but it is so radically different, obviously
working toward the ending, that the beginning of the coda can be
labeled here.
12:31 [m. 353]--The violin and
cello are reduced to two-note “sigh” figures, and the piano right hand
begins to play sets of descending triplets without the strong upper
voices. The left hand continues with the “winding octaves.”
The volume swells powerfully, and all instruments arrive at an intense
climax, the viola finally abandoning its syncopation for feverish
triplets with the cello. The climax quickly recedes. The
strings, then the piano triplets and bass drop out. Three bare
unison plucked string octaves lead to a rather “tragic” cadence.
This corresponds roughly with 5:21 [m. 151], but the character is
greatly altered.
12:55 [m. 364]--The strings in
unison, beginning quietly, but arduously building again, play the main
winding octave theme. They hold notes over bar lines as the
piano, in harmony, responds to them. Reaching steadily upward,
the instruments come to their last high point and then, sapped of all
strength, descend and diminish again. The strings play long
chords and the piano plays oscillating triplets under a syncopated
upper voice, all slowing to the final quiet G-minor chord.
13:38--END OF MOVEMENT [373 mm.]
2nd
Movement: Intermezzo - Allegro, ma non troppo; Trio - Animato
(Intermezzo [Scherzo] and Trio). C MINOR, 9/8 time.
INTERMEZZO
0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. The
strings alone open the movement, and all three play with mutes
throughout. The cello begins a quiet pulsation on the keynote
C. The violin and viola enter in harmony with the hushed,
melancholy main theme, which has a drooping, sighing character.
The cello stays on the same note until the pulsation moves in the
seventh bar. At this point, the harmony veers to the “dominant”
chord of G major.
0:19 [m. 13]--The piano joins
with chords in the rhythm of the main theme, now in a brighter major
key, as the cello continues its pulsations. The violin and viola
add plucked interjections. The volume level remains very quiet,
and the piano melody moves toward an arrival point, not in C minor, but
in C major.
0:25 [m. 17]--Part 1, Varied
repetition. The arrival is somewhat aborted by the breaking off
of the piano. The pulsations move from the cello to the
viola. The main theme is now played by the piano. The
violin and cello, playing mostly in unison, add a new counterpoint to
the main theme. Motion to G-major harmony, as before.
0:43 [m. 29]--The brighter
major-key extension is now played by the violin and viola, the
pulsations moving back to the cello. The piano plays detached
octaves taking the place of the previous plucked violin/viola
interjections. Arrival point in C major, as before.
0:49 [m. 33]--Part 2. The
constant pulsations finally break off. The viola and cello begin
to oscillate, and the piano, aborting the expected cadence, repeats a
sequence of the previous descending chords played by the upper
strings. These chords move the key center to F minor, where the
second major theme is heard. It enters in the violin as the piano
completes its chords, and consists of a halting, rather nervous melody
decorated with grace notes (appogiaturas).
The violin continues to play the theme, which breaks into a duple
rhythm going against the prevailing 9/8. The piano plays
decorative arpeggios, first arching upward, then remaining more
static. The viola and cello play detached, punctuating chords.
1:05 [m. 43]--The piano right
hand, playing in octaves, repeats the second theme, including its grace
notes. The left hand plays supporting arpeggios along with the
cello. The upper strings combine arpeggios with repeated
notes. At the point where the theme breaks into duple rhythm, the
piano expands and intensifies it, extending it by two bars and arriving
at a full cadence in F minor.
1:20 [m. 52]--Full statement of
the main theme in F minor. The pulsations are again in the
cello. The thematic material itself is passed between the
violin/viola pairing and the piano, beginning with the strings. The
alternation comes after each one-bar unit that begins on an
upbeat. The last alternation (after four previous ones) expands
the units of both strings and piano to two bars. An expected (and
corresponding) arrival on C major is aborted by an extension to the
main theme.
1:38 [m. 64]--An extension to
the main theme in F minor. There is one more two-bar alternation
between the upper strings and the piano, a step higher than the last
one. The strings begin another pattern, but the piano comes in
“early,” now imitating the upper strings directly. The cello
pulsations never break. Both the strings and the piano swell
rapidly on this pattern, leading to the first louder volumes in the
movement as they come together. They move back to the home key of
C minor on strong chords, the viola briefly joining the cello
pulsations.
1:50 [m. 72]--After two loud
false starts over sharp piano chords and continuing cello pulsations,
the second theme is strongly played in the home key of C minor.
It is given in unison from the violin and viola. The piano plays
its decorative arpeggios, as it had when the theme was played softly at
0:49 [m. 33]. When the cello pulsations finally break, the
instrument plays a plucked counterpoint in duple rhythm, anticipating
the duple shift of the theme. When this duple passage
arrives, the piano bass breaks into broken octaves in the contrasting
rhythm, leaving the piano right hand alone to maintain the 9/8 pulse.
2:06 [m. 82]--The music quiets
down again, and the piano takes the repetition of the second theme,
transforming it utterly by changing it to C major instead of minor, albeit with
many chromatic notes borrowed from the minor. It is somewhat
analogous to 1:05 [m. 43], but there are certain differences, such as
the piano splitting the octaves between the hands and abandoning its
left hand arpeggios at the outset (they are reinstated at the motion to
duple rhythm). Also, the cello line is smoother and less
detached. The theme is even more extended than before, delaying
the cadence by four more bars. This delayed C-major arrival
releases much tension.
2:26 [m. 94]--At the arrival
point in C-major, the Theme 1 music originally heard in major at 0:19
[m. 13] is used as the basis for a “codetta.” The pulsations
begin again, now heard for the first time in the piano bass. The
violin and viola play the thematic material in harmony, the cello
providing smooth counterpoint. The right hand plays interjecting
octaves. At the end, the piano takes over the melody in a
reiteration that leads to a C-major cadence, the pulsations briefly
moving to the viola and cello, the interjections to the violin.
2:36 [m. 100]--The strings
begin a reiteration of the cadence, with many chromatic notes, as the
pulsation returns to the piano bass. The descending reiteration
is passed to the piano, as before, with the pulsations now moving
definitively back to the cello, doubled briefly here by the viola.
2:42 [m. 104]--The cadence is
interrupted by the intrusion of the note B-flat in the piano on the
arrival. This interruption leads to a statement of the principal
portion of the main theme, transformed to C major. The violin and
viola play it in harmony, the cello taking the pulsations, the piano
playing isolated interjections. Unexpectedly, the theme expands
higher and the piano right hand, playing full chords, briefly imitates
it before returning to detached chords, the cello remaining constant on
its pulsating low C.
2:53 [m. 111]--When the upper
strings reach a high C, they remain there, holding it until the end of
the main Intermezzo, the cello remaining on its unmoving low C
pulsations. Against this, the piano plays four dissonant chords
(two each of “augmented sixth” and “diminished seventh” chords in
alternation) that resolve to C-major chords. The music gradually
slows and quiets. Two reiterations of the last of these major
chords complete the main Intermezzo. The cello pulsations lead
into the Trio as the upper strings abandon their long-held high C.
TRIO (A-flat major) - Animato
3:04 [m. 117]--Theme 1.
The piano begins its scurrying motion with an arpeggio and then
murmuring neighbor-note groups. The violin presents the jaunty
five-bar theme in A-flat, characterized by descending two-note figures,
against the rapid piano figuration. Immediately following this,
the piano begins playing in octaves split between the hands, and the
viola and cello in unison play the main theme a fourth lower, on
E-flat. The viola/cello statement is slightly altered at the
end. The two statements are rather hushed.
3:15 [m. 127]--After a descent,
the piano alternates hands on the “neighbor-note” groups. The
music becomes significantly louder. This occurs under another
statement of the theme beginning on E (notated as F-flat). The
viola and cello play it, with the violin following in close imitation,
but the instruments come together in harmony at the end.
The theme moves to the home minor key (A-flat minor) and quiets rapidly.
3:21 [m. 132]--The “scurrying”
motion and neighbor-note groups move to the strings, especially the
viola, with fragments in the cello at the beginning and the violin at
the end of the first theme statement. The piano plays the
original version of the main theme in A-flat in octaves. It moves
immediately to the second statement starting on E-flat. Here, the
neighbor-note groups move to the violin and viola in unison. The
piano makes an alteration to the end of this second statement, adding a
new sliding ascent by half-steps.
3:33 [m. 142]--The scurrying
arpeggios and neighbor-groups move back to the piano, which alternates
them between hands. The strings present another statement of the
louder “imitative” version from 3:21 [m. 132], this time with the
violin leading the viola and cello and displaced by a beat. The
turn to A-flat minor at the end is slightly altered, with the viola and
cello extending the downward motion while quieting down.
3:39 [m. 147]--Theme 2 in E
major. The second theme is derived from the first, but is less
frantic. The strings play it in block harmony over short repeated
chord interjections from the piano. It consists largely of a
repeated rhythm beginning with a brief long-short figure. As the
theme progresses, the violin begins to strive upward by
half-steps. With a cross-rhythm implying three 6/8 bars over two
9/8 bars, piano chords and the cello divert the harmony for a key
change to A-flat.
3:52 [m. 157]--Theme 2 is now
played in the home key of A-flat, with the cello taking the
melody. When the ascent by half-steps is reached, the viola takes
over the leading role. The piano accompaniment is
different. The right hand now plays somewhat static arpeggios
that are more in the character of the “scurrying” accompaniment to
Theme 1. The harmonic motion at the end is avoided, but the
cross-rhythm is preserved. The viola leads to the return of Theme
1.
4:05 [m. 167]--The piano merges
seamlessly into the neighbor-note accompaniment to Theme 1. Theme
1 itself begins on D-flat (where it has not been played before).
It is played by the violin with the viola and cello providing new
harmonies. The piano then moves to the split octaves, while the
viola and cello play the main theme in its original form on A-flat in
unison, with an alteration at the end to move back to D-flat.
4:17 [m. 177]--The volume is
louder again, and the strings begin to play the “imitative” version of
Theme 1 with the viola and cello (in unison) leading the violin.
It begins on D-flat. The piano accompaniment, however, is
different. After a descending arpeggio, the figures are
alternated between the hands as before, but now they play broken
octaves instead of “neighbor” figures, with the right hand harmonizing
its upper notes. The theme is extended, with the two-note
descents continuing at length, the violin continuing to follow the
viola and cello. The key begins to move to C minor, the key of
the main Intermezzo.
4:25 [m. 184]--At the climax,
the piano octaves plunge downward on harmony suggesting F minor.
The viola and cello hold a note longer, allowing the violin to “catch
up.” All three string instruments now play in unison and also
move downward. The sequence is repeated with the violin moving
down to play in the same octave as the viola, all instruments changing
F to F-sharp, helping to further facilitate a move back to C
minor. The music quiets down rapidly in this repetition.
4:30 [m. 188]--Re-transition.
The strings in unison play a version of Theme 2, becoming quieter and
slower. They state a two-bar unit twice. Then the piano
takes over, leading to a strong cadence on C minor and the return of
the main Intermezzo.
INTERMEZZO REPRISE- “Tempo del Intermezzo”
4:38 [m. 193]--Unusually, the
reprise is written out in full, though it is unvaried. Part 1, as
at the opening.
4:57 [m. 205]--Piano entry, as
at 0:19 [m. 13].
5:03 [m. 209]--Part 1, Varied
repetition, as at 0:25 [m. 17].
5:21 [m. 221]--Major-key
extension, as at 0:43 [m. 29].
5:27 [m. 225]--Part 2.
Second theme, as at 0:49 [m. 33].
5:43 [m. 235]--Second theme in
the piano, as at 1:05 [m. 43].
5:58 [m. 244]--Return of main
theme in F minor, as at 1:20 [m. 52].
6:16 [m. 256]--Extension to
main theme, as at 1:38 [m. 64].
6:27 [m. 264]--Second theme in
C minor, as at 1:50 [m. 72].
6:44 [m. 274]--Piano statement
of second theme in C major, as at 2:06 [m. 82].
7:04 [m. 286]--“Codetta” with
Theme 1 music, as at 2:26 [m. 94].
7:13 [m. 292]--Chromatic
reiteration of cadence, as at 2:36 [m. 100].
7:19 [m. 296]--Interruption of
cadence, main theme in C major, and rise to held note, as at 2:42 [m.
104].
7:30 [m. 303]--High note in
upper strings and resolution of dissonant chords, as at 2:53 [m. 111].
7:42 [m. 309]--CODA. The
coda is based on the Trio, but it is in C major. The piano plays
introductory arpeggios and then the strings, in harmony, state Theme 1
of the Trio over piano neighbor-note figures alternating between the
hands. The strings reach a drone-like C-major chord, with the
viola moving over the drone before settling on the chord. The
piano continues the neighbor-note figures until the viola
settles. It then plays three arpeggios before a final, wisp-like
rolled chord, all under the held string chord.
8:04--END OF MOVEMENT [321 mm.]
3rd
Movement: Andante con moto (Large ternary form--ABA’). E-FLAT MAJOR,
3/4 time.
A Section
0:00 [m. 1]--The melody begins
with an upbeat. The strings present the main theme of the A section. It is lyrical, but
powerful. The violin and cello play the melody in unison octaves,
the viola providing a full, warm, and rich harmony in
double-stops. The piano provides a steadily moving accompaniment,
mostly in arpeggios, but also including back-and-forth motion.
The entire piano part is doubled in octaves between the hands.
The first phrase moves to the “dominant” chord, B-flat major.
0:23 [m. 9]--The second phrase
strongly asserts the home key of E-flat before veering off with more
chromatic notes. The first motion is again toward B-flat,
including a quiet echo of a two-note sigh figure in the melody, but
then the motion seems to be toward D, where there is an arrival
point. D major, however, is really functioning as the “dominant”
pulling toward G minor, a key also related to B-flat. The violin
and cello still play in octaves, with the full viola double-stop
harmony and the steadily moving piano.
0:47 [m. 17]--The music
suddenly becomes quiet and mysterious in a contrasting phrase.
The piano finally abandons its steadily moving octaves and begins
playing chords in triplet rhythm against a steady drone bass. The
strings narrowly creep forward, the violin leading with gently pushing
two-note figures. The key here is G minor, though it is not
strongly asserted.
0:58 [m. 21]--The piano takes
over the contrasting phrase with right-hand octaves. The
left-hand bass now more clearly asserts the note G. The triplet
chords move to the strings, with the cello holding steady on G,
doubling the piano bass but playing in the triplet rhythm. The
phrase is extended by a bar, with the harmonies moving toward C minor
(the related minor key to the movement’s home key of E-flat
major). There is a crescendo
in volume at the end of the expanded phrase.
1:14 [m. 26]-- The piano
suddenly erupts in an E-flat major chord and descending arpeggio, with
the violin playing the chord and the two lower strings moving up on the
arpeggio. This serves as a one-bar lead-in to the return of the
main melody, the violin and cello still playing in octaves with the
viola harmony and steady piano octaves. The phrase is expanded
upward and extended by two bars, incorporating several chromatic
notes. The viola begins to play in triplet rhythm, abandoning the
double-stops. A cadence in E-flat (with a strong suggestion of
the minor mode) appears to be imminent with a turn figure in the
violin, but this is averted with a “deceptive” motion to a dissonant
“diminished seventh” chord.
1:44 [m. 36]--The cello and
viola lead out of the dissonant chord. The violin repeats its
cadence-suggesting turn figure, and the cello joins it again in
octaves.. The piano also begins its steady octave motion again,
while the viola provides harmony without double-stops. The music
is extremely full-hearted here. The violin and cello play another
turn figure, leading to a very strong, satisfying arrival on E-flat.
Transition
1:56 [m. 40]--The strings
follow the arrival with an extension consisting of soaring phrases with
long-short rhythm. The viola still harmonizes the unison violin
and cello. The piano right hand breaks into rapid arching
arpeggios, the left hand playing solid bass octaves. The violin
and cello move to a leaping syncopation. There is harmonic motion
toward the “dominant” of B-flat in a mixture of major and minor.
2:08 [m. 44]--The piano
suddenly drops out, the music quiets down, and the violin leads in a
version of the contrasting phrase from 0:47 [m. 17]. The cello
provides smooth harmony, and the viola plays repeated harmonized
triplet groups. The violin notes are almost the same as in the
previous presentation of this phrase, but the key center seems to be
more on B-flat than on G minor. The volume increases somewhat.
2:20 [m. 48]--The previous
string passage has veered at the last moment to F minor from
B-flat. Here, the passage from 1:56 [m. 40] erupts with the rapid
piano arpeggios, the soaring violin/cello phrases, and the syncopation,
given in a new minor-key version.
2:32 [m. 52]--The “contrasting”
phrase is heard again as the piano drops out and the music again
becomes suddenly quiet. The viola plays repeated harmonized
triplets, as before. The phrase is extended with a piano
entry. The piano right hand takes over the harmonized triplets
from the viola. The crescendo
is more powerful, and the harmony moves strongly toward C minor, as it
had before 0:58 [m. 21]. The instruments come together at the end
in emphatic chords.
2:52 [m. 59]--The instruments
arrive on a G-major chord that functions as the “dominant” leading to
C. The strings drop out and the piano suddenly begins playing
clipped octaves in long-short rhythm, anticipating the upcoming march
in the middle section. These rapidly become quiet. A middle
voice emerges in the right hand on a strong half-step dissonance.
2:59 [m. 61]--The middle voice
moves down by half-steps in both hands. Against this, the
cello, then the viola, and finally the violin enter with a mournful
phrase in C minor. The string counterpoint eventually comes
together with the piano’s clipped long-short rhythm. After the
middle voice reaches D, the piano bass leaps up and comes down in a
scale, and the volume rapidly increases. The middle voice in the
right hand rapidly moves back up by half-steps, doubled by the
violin. The instruments arrive on another G-major chord.
3:14 [m. 66]--The music again
becomes suddenly quiet. The strings now play the clipped
long-short rhythm, the descending “middle voice” being placed in the
viola. The piano bass, then the right hand doubled by the cello,
play the “mournful phrase.” The right hand then takes it alone in
octaves. As in the previous passage, the instruments come
together and move toward a G-major chord over a strong increase in
volume. This time, the voice moving by half-steps moves from the
middle to the top of the piano chords.
3:29 [m. 71]--In the final
transition to the B section,
the piano’s long-short rhythm is reduced to quiet double notes in the
left hand. The viola takes the “mournful phrase,” followed by the
violin, then the viola again, and finally the violin and cello
together. These entries dovetail together. The “mournful”
phrase now sounds more hopeful, as it has been transformed to C major
instead of minor. The piano left hand reaches “dominant” chords
under the last violin/cello entry, leading finally to the central march.
B section--Animato, C major
3:41 [m. 75]--First statement
of march. The piano quietly plays the triple-time march in C
major, which features clipped long-short rhythms as well as triplet
rhythms. The harmonies are largely doubled in both hands.
The strings play very short interjections of repeated notes and other
figures, the viola and cello sometimes playing plucked chords.
3:57 [m. 83]--Second statement
of march. The second statement is longer, making large
digressions to E-flat major and C minor. The volume remains quiet
throughout, but toward the end, the short interjections of the strings
expand to repeated octaves in triplet rhythm from the violin and viola
as the cello moves to double the piano bass. The first cadence in
C major is diverted for more triplet rhythms and minor-key digressions,
with drum-like figures in the piano and the strings taking over the
march melody. Finally, the cadence is reached. It is
reiterated in the strings with drum-like cello repeated notes.
4:31 [m. 101]--Bridge
passage. The reiteration of the cadence is loudly interrupted
with a sudden A-flat major chord from the piano. A march phrase
is strongly played with three sequences in A-flat. The strings
play rapid repeated notes leaping down an octave at the end of their
four-note sets. The harmony of the last sequence is diverted
again to C.
4:43 [m. 107]--The piano drops
out, and the strings, still playing at a strong volume, present a new
phrase with a winding and highly chromatic violin line against sharply
marked triplets from the viola and cello. These are also quite
chromatic, and the phrase vacillates between minor and major.
4:51 [m. 111]--The winding
phrase is now given a fourth lower from the viola and cello in
unison. The piano left hand, then the right hand imitate the
viola/cello line in succession. The strong triplets are now
played by the violin. This extended passage acts as a transition
back to the main march. The piano suddenly interjects the short
clipped figures previously played by the strings, and the strings play
unison triplet arpeggios that lead to a strong C-major cadence and the
return of the main march melody.
5:07 [m. 119]--Third statement
of march. With a grand and triumphant arrival, the march melody
is played by the violin and viola in unison with the cello harmonizing
them in rhythm, the piano joyously playing the short repeated-note and
chord interjections. The statement uses the melody and harmony of
the first statement from 3:41 [m. 75], but with the instrumentation
reversed and with the character transformed from the originally quiet
presentation.
5:23 [m. 127]--Fourth statement
of march. The piano takes over the melody again, passing the
short interjections and chords back to the strings. There are now
no plucked chords. The statement begins in a similar manner to
the second statement from 3:57 [m. 83], with the same digression to
E-flat, but suddenly it takes on the character of the bridge passage
from 4:31 [m. 101], merging directly into the third sequence from that
passage, now in E-flat instead of A-flat and moving toward G. The
volume remains strong.
5:35 [m. 133]--The winding
phrase enters in the manner of that played at 4:51 [m. 111]. The
piano right hand begins in octaves, with the left hand imitating.
The two upper strings play the strong triplet rhythms. The
emphatic chords at the end merge with a second statement begun by the
cello and joined by the violin. The piano left hand, then the
right hand (both in octaves) imitate them, the viola alone playing the
triplets. The emphatic chords now lead to an apparent strong
arrival in C minor.
Re-Transition
5:58 [m. 144]--The expected
C-minor arrival is harshly interrupted by a dissonant “diminished
seventh” chord. Out of this, at a suddenly quiet volume, emerges
material from the melody of the A
section in the viola and cello. The cello begins to play
syncopated notes, and the piano bass plays low two-note figures in
octaves. The music remains in minor until the following violin
entry.
6:16 [m. 152]--The violin
begins an apparent full statement of the first phrase from the A section melody in the key of the
B section, C major. The violin even decorates the melody with a
turn figure. The viola and cello play the steady octave
accompaniment previously associated with the piano, the piano itself
playing only low bass octaves on G. After four bars, the piano
right hand enters, doubling the violin with harmony, the viola and
cello also contributing to the harmonization. The piano bass now
plays the winding line in octaves. The phrase is brought to
completion with a small digression at the end.
6:36 [m. 160]--The viola and
cello, in unison, lead an extension of the phrase, the violin and piano
right hand following them. The piano bass continues to play the
steady winding octaves. The violin/piano melody begins to move up
by half-steps. The volume strongly builds. The piano bass,
then the violin, then the piano right hand emerge in descending
arpeggios. The violin and piano right hand each, in that order,
present two more descending arpeggios, the second adding
syncopation. Against these arpeggios, the viola and cello play
rising two-note figures in thirds. The final violin and piano
arpeggios lead back to E-flat major and to the warm, satisfying return.
A’ Section
6:57 [m.168]--The violin
presents the main melody, with syncopation and other decorations,
including a turn figure. The cello harmonizes the melody at the
beginning, but then diverges into a new line, which it never did in the
first A section. The
viola enters, harmonizing the cello line. The piano now
accompanies with arpeggios in triplet rhythm, first with the hands
playing together and then in opposite directions.
7:18 [m. 176]--The piano alone
plays the second phrase. The material is the same as that from
0:23 [m. 9]. An inner voice provides the steadily moving
line. The echoing “sigh” is included, as is the motion toward
B-flat and to D. The music quiets down. The strings enter
right before the arrival point on D.
7:40 [m. 184]--The contrasting
phrase from 0:47 [m. 17] is played in a very similar manner as
before. The violin line is identical. The viola and cello
harmonies are somewhat different. The piano right hand plays a
single winding line in triplet rhythm instead of the repeated
chords. The “drone” bass in the piano left hand includes more
steady and rapid thumping of the note.
7:51 [m.188]--For this
statement of the contrasting phrase, the piano right hand, which
presents it, is identical to 0:58 [m. 21]. The surroundings, as
in the previous passage, are different. The left hand continues
the more steady, rapid thumping, now on G. The violin plays the
winding triplet rhythm instead of repeated chords. The viola and
cello continue their smoother lines. There is a crescendo, but the following music
returns to the quiet level.
8:06 [m. 193]--This music is a
highly transformed version of what was heard at 1:14 [m. 26]. The
E-flat chord and arpeggio arrive, but they are now against sweeping,
arching triplets in the strings. When the melody enters, it is in
a decorated and embellished version played by the piano in
octaves. The left hand plays slower low octaves. The
strings continue their sweeping triplets. The chromatic notes and
minor-key suggestion at the aborted cadence are all present within the
embellished theme. This “return” begins softer, but swells near
the aborted cadence.
8:34 [m. 203]--This is an even
greater intensification of the music from 1:44 [m. 36]. All
strings lead out of the dissonant chord, then continue with their
arching triplets passed between them. The piano, instead of the
strings, leads with a turn into the full-hearted cadence music, finally
reaching the satisfying arrival with another turn. Brahms
originally included a passage after the cadence that was similar to the
beginning of the earlier “transition” music (with rapid piano
arpeggios), but he deleted it, opting to move right into the new coda
music from the cadence.
Coda
8:47 [m. 207]--The coda begins
with the music of the “contrasting phrase” from 0:47 [m. 17] and 7:40
[m. 184]. The phrase itself is played by the violin. The
piano, after its strong cadence, breaks into harmonious descending
triplets doubled between the hands. The viola and cello play more
static, drone-like triplets. The violin ends its phrase with a
new trill and cadence.
8:57 [m. 211]--The viola leads
a new statement of the phrase, the violin lagging behind and eventually
joining it in octaves. The piano and cello continue their
triplets. The cadence is extended, adding two more trills.
The second of these is held for a full bar, building for its lead-in to
the faster closing passage.
9:18 [m. 218]--Brahms marks the
closing passage poco animato.
The piano begins a rapid development of the main melody with undulating
inner-voice motion, the cello doubling the drone-like bass. The
viola enters prominently with Theme 1 material and emerges into a
trill. The cello breaks from the piano bass under the
trill. The violin then enters on the viola trill, doubling the
top piano voice.
9:29 [m. 224]--The violin and
piano right hand begin to undulate and wind around the melodic
material. This includes a prominent minor-key inflection
(C-flat). The cello and piano bass imitate these lines, while the
viola provides a constant, steady repeated two-note “sigh”
pattern. The violin and piano then settle on “sigh” patterns
including the dissonant C-flat. The cello’s lower voice and the
piano bass break into an oscillating motion with syncopation across bar
lines. Here the music slows and quiets to the end. The
violin, viola, and piano “sigh” figures move down for the last two bars
of this pattern (while the cello’s upper voice imitates the “dissonant”
sighs). After the pattern breaks, piano arpeggios under long,
soft string chords bring a final arrival and close.
10:12--END OF MOVEMENT [235 mm.]
4th
Movement: Rondo alla Zingarese
- Presto (Highly sectionalized Rondo form). G MINOR, 2/4 time.
EXPOSITION
FIRST RONDO THEME COMPLEX (A)
The complex is completely organized into three-bar units, which is part
of the “gypsy” character.
0:00 [m. 1]--Main Rondo theme (a). The furious beginning is
launched with immediate forward energy. The piano and the two
upper strings play the theme itself, decorated by grace notes (appogiaturas) and harmonized in
thirds and sixths. The cello and piano bass solidly thump on the
keynote G, punctuating each bar with a rolled chord. The steady
bass G is only abandoned at the end of the first phrase (the first two
three-bar units). The phrase is repeated, with the violin and
piano right hand an octave higher.
0:09 [m. 13]--A contrasting
phrase (two three-bar units) moves generally downward in two waves,
with turning “neighbor-note” figures. The cello has broken
octaves while the piano bass plays more free leaping harmonies.
0:13 [m. 19]--Return of the
opening music. It begins at a quieter level and works up
again. The repetition of the phrase with the higher violin and
piano right hand is changed to strive farther upward and reach a
complete cadence in G-minor.
0:22 [m. 31]--The huge first
complex has its own middle section (b).
The main material is a unison half-step motion from the piano bass,
viola and cello, then a rising violin/viola scale with quieter piano
chords after the beat. This is heard twice, first with the
half-step on F-sharp and G. The second sequence begins with the
half-step on A and B-flat (these are the “leading” motions of G minor
and the related B-flat major).
0:27 [m. 37]--The half-step
motion is now played on C-sharp and D, then repeated with the violin
and piano right hand added. A third statement of the motion is
harmonized in the violin and piano. These half-steps are followed
by two expansions of the rising scale that create their own three-bar
units. These transfer the scales to the piano and the after-beat
chords (now no longer quiet) to the strings. The first of these
is played in doubled octaves and is more halting. The second adds
a broken-octave bass and is more forward-moving, emphasizing an
oscillation after the scale.
0:35 [m. 46]--The first two
units from 0:22 [m. 31] are presented again, this time with the
half-step motions harmonized. They are now played by violin (in
triple-stops) and piano, with the viola and cello taking the scale
patterns. The piano takes the after-beat chords under the scales.
0:40 [m. 52]--The C-sharp to D
half-steps and the expanded scale patterns from 0:27 [m. 37] are
repeated. The half-steps are played by violin and piano.
The second and third are now harmonized. The first scale pattern
is taken by viola and cello with piano after-beat chords. The
second pattern is played by violin and the right hand of the piano,
with the chords in the viola and cello. The piano bass has broken
octaves under the second pattern, as it did before. This leads
directly into the partial reprise of the main theme (a).
0:47 [m. 61]--The return of the
main theme is abbreviated, and begins with the contrasting phrase from
0:09 [m. 13]. It is more elaborate, with neighbor-note figures
passed between the strings, the viola leading with new ones on the
downbeats. The cello takes the former viola part. The piano
bass now plays the leaping broken octaves without its previous
harmonies, and the piano right hand has new, furious downward-arching
arpeggios.
0:52 [m. 67]--The opening
phrases of the main Rondo theme are played as they were at 0:13 [m.
19], with the complete G-minor close but without the quieter
opening. A very brief pause breaks the feverish pace.
FIRST CONTRASTING SECTION (B) -
B-flat major
This contrasting section is in a “rounded binary” form. The music
is now organized into two-bar units. These are in turn organized
into groups of six (three phrases of two units each, as opposed to two
of three). This creates twelve-bar groups, as in the main Rondo
section where the units were three bars each.
1:02 [m. 80]--Part 1 (a). For the entire section,
the piano has light, constant, rapidly running notes in scales,
oscillations, or arpeggios. The hands are doubled in octaves
except at the end of each part. The string harmonies are plucked
throughout. They also play rapidly, but only half as fast as the
piano. The first part has three phrases, the third of which
contains rapid descending piano arpeggios and strong cadence gestures
from the strings. The second phrase moves from B-flat major to G
minor, where the third phrase is heard.
1:10 [m. 80]--Part 1 (a) repeated.
1:19 [m. 92]--Part 2.
Contrasting passage (b).
Again, there are three phrases. The strings take their
bows. The viola plays in the fast rhythm of the piano with
repeated notes that move slowly. The cello and violin alternate
with the “slower” notes. The piano continues its rapidly running
passage work, now with murmuring trill-like motion. The second
phrase is a repetition (a sequence) of the first, but a step
higher. The third phrase begins by repeating (only) the second
unit of the second phrase a step higher still. It then diverges
as the trills creep back down and the music slows, moving back to
B-flat major.
1:29 [m. 104]--Return to the
main portion (a’), with the
strings again plucking. The second and third phrases are altered,
both reaching higher. This is to allow the section to end in
B-flat rather than moving to G minor. It does pivot to G minor at
the last second for the repetition of Part 2.
1:38 [m. 92]--Part 2
repeated. Contrasting passage (b).
1:48 [m. 104]--Return to main
portion (a’). Last-second
pivot to G minor for the return of the Rondo theme, into which the
arpeggios rush.
SECOND RONDO THEME COMPLEX (A’)
The middle section (b) is
omitted in this complex.
1:56 [m. 116]--Main Rondo
theme, as at the opening. Phrase and repetition an octave
higher. The piano right hand is quite different in this
statement. It does not double the violin on the melody, instead
providing harmony and holding certain notes across bar lines. The
strings and piano left hand are identical.
2:05 [m. 128]--Contrasting
phrase, as at 0:09 [m. 13].
2:10 [m. 134]--Return of the
opening music, as at 0:13 [m. 19]. The “new” harmony and notes
held across bar lines are transferred to the violin and viola.
The piano plays the original melody. The music begins quietly,
but for this statement, it remains quiet, even getting softer.
Brahms even thins the texture somewhat near the cadence. After
the cadence, there is a brief extension that trails down and quiets
even more. Three more three-bar units are added, reiterating the
cadence and steadily decreasing in activity.
SECOND CONTRASTING SECTION (C)
- Meno Presto, G major
“Rounded binary” form, organized into three-bar units. Six-bar
phrases, two units each.
2:27 [m. 155]--Part 1 (a). Loud, ringing chords from
all instruments. The strings reiterate the longer chords with a
short-long pulsation. The single phrase ends with a trill and a
motion to the “dominant,” D.
2:34 [m. 155]--Part 1 (a) repeated.
2:42 [m. 161]--Part 2.
Contrasting passage (b).
This is set in G minor. The piano strives upward, incorporating
some triplet rhythms. The strings play in an “oom-pah” rhythm,
with the cello on the downbeats, the violin and viola responding with
chords. As with the main phrase, this one also moves to the
“dominant” D-major chord.
2:49 [m. 167]--Return to the
main portion (a’), which is
intensified with the addition of drum-like triplet octaves in the piano
and anticipatory repeated notes in the upper strings. The second
half of the phrase is altered to reach higher upward and arrive at a
full cadence in G major.
2:56 [m. 161]--Part 2
repeated. Contrasting passage (b).
3:03 [m. 167]--Return to main
portion (a’) with closed
G-major cadence. There is a short pause.
THIRD CONTRASTING SECTION (D) -
E minor
“Rounded binary” form. This section is organized into four-bar
units and eight-bar phrases. This is the only major section that
abandons the larger units in six or twelve bars.
3:12 [m. 173]--Part 1 (a). The slower tempo of
Section C continues. The
character is more melancholy, as seen in the slower sections of
“Hungarian” music by composers such as Liszt. The viola and cello
present a mournful theme with triplets, the cello playing above the
viola. The piano plays a quiet “oom-pah” rhythm with low
left-hand octaves and right hand after-beat chords. In the second
half of the phrase, the violin enters with brief imitation before
joining the harmony. The embellished cadence moves to B
minor/major.
3:27 [m. 181]--Part 1 (a), varied repeat. The violin
now joins the main melody, doubling the cello an octave higher.
The viola’s harmony is more flowing, with constant triplets. The
cello abandons the melody in the second half that moves to B
minor/major, allowing the violin to take it. Instead, the cello
plays a new counterpoint in straight rhythm, clashing with the triplets
of the viola.
3:43 [m. 189]--Part 2.
Contrasting passage (b).
The piano leads this phrase, playing an ominous-sounding alteration of
the melancholy theme, largely in octaves with steady detached bass
notes. It gradually works upward as the music moves back to E
minor. The strings provide soft chords at strategic high points,
more concentrated at the end. There is a very gradual rise in
volume in preparation for the return. An extra bar is added for
this preparation, extending the phrase to nine bars.
3:58 [m. 198]--Return to the
main portion (a’). It is
much louder and fuller than its first presentation. The
approach includes a mild syncopation in all the strings. Although
the violin doubles the cello on the main melody, it is actually closer
to the initial statement than to the varied repeat, as the viola does
not play its flowing accompaniment, but rather plays in block harmony
with the violin/cello melody. The cello abandons the melody only
at the very end. The right hand piano chords are more sustained,
leaning from higher chords into lower ones during most of the
bars. Unusually, the motion to B minor/major is retained.
4:15 [m. 189]--Part 2
repeated. Contrasting passage (b).
4:30 [m. 198]--Return to main
portion (a’). Brahms
indicates a slowing and softening at the end of the repetition.
FOURTH CONTRASTING SECTION (B’)
- G major
4:49 [m. 206]--Part 1 (a). The main Presto tempo returns. The
material of the first contrasting section is presented in G
major. It is indicated to be played even more softly and lightly
than before. The running piano notes, previously doubled in
octaves, are now played in harmony between the hands, mostly in close
thirds. The strings are plucked, as before. The motion in
the second phrase is to E minor (the related minor key to G
major). This is analogous to the B-flat--G minor motion in the
first B section. The
piano left hand plays rolled chords on the weak beats of the last
phrase.
4:58 [m. 218]--Part 2.
Contrasting passage (b).
The running notes are now transferred to the violin and cello, who play
them in octaves. Previously, they were in the piano
throughout. The viola rests for the entire phrase. The
piano adds an entirely new counterpoint that is based on the second
contrasting section (C).
This includes some octave doubling between the hands, especially in the
last half. The three phrases are virtually identical in the
strings (except for one note alteration in the last phrase), which is
unexpected given the sequences of the first B section. There is some
variation in the second phrase of the piano.
5:07 [m. 230]--Instead of
returning to the music of Part 1, the material of the contrasting
passage is extended for another eight-bar group (two instead of three
phrases). The viola joins the running violin and cello, playing
mostly in unison with the violin. All three instruments
occasionally jump an octave when one or both of the others do
not. The second phrase introduces the sequencing and variation
that was absent in the previous passage. The piano has continued
its new counterpoint, adding syncopation. In the second phrase,
there is a dramatic crescendo,
and in the last two bars, the piano erupts into a rapid
downward-arching scale bridge in groups of six and seven notes.
This leads powerfully into the next section.
FIFTH CONTRASTING SECTION (C’)
- G major (presumably Meno Presto)
5:13 [m. 238]--Part 1 (a). After a new initial chord
leading out of the previous section, the music is as it was at 2:27 [m.
155], with only minimal variation, mainly added double-stops in the
strings.
5:20 [m. 244]--Part 2.
Contrasting passage (b).
The music is as at 2:42 [m. 161], but the parts of the strings and
piano are exchanged. The strings take the upward-striving
material (beginning in unison but diverging at the end), the piano the
“oom-pah” rhythm.
5:28 [m. 250]--Return to the
main portion (a’). The
string and piano parts continue to be exchanged from the previous
appearance at 2:49 [m. 167]. The piano has the “anticipatory”
repeated notes. Full, loud cadence in G major, as before.
THIRD RONDO THEME COMPLEX (A”)
- Tempo I, G minor
The “Tempo I” presumably indicates that the previous C’ section was in the “Meno Presto”
tempo.
5:36 [m. 256]--This complex
begins with the middle section (b).
The music is essentially identical to 0:22 [m. 31], with three
differences: the piano adds another octave above on the half-steps, a
trill is added to both piano and strings on these half-steps, and the
piano chords under the scales are now played loudly.
5:41 [m. 262]--The first two
three-bar units are identical to 0:27 [m. 37], except for the addition
of string trills on the C-sharp--D half-steps. The third
three-bar unit, where the piano adds a bass in broken octaves, is set a
half-step higher than it was in the first complex, adding tension and
contrast.
5:48 [m. 271]--This is
essentially identical to 0:35 [m. 46], except for some fuller chords in
the piano bass and the lack of a softer dynamic for the piano chords
under the scales.
5:53 [m. 277]--Identical to
0:40 [m. 52].
6:01 [m. 286]--Contrasting
phrase from the main section in its more elaborate form, as at 0:47 [m.
61]. The ending is altered very slightly and abruptly cut off (in
a one-chord extension), avoiding the rush into the opening music
of the main Rondo theme.
6:06 [m. 293]--The piano and
strings play a loud, dissonant chord (a “ninth” chord). Then the
piano is given an unexpected cadenza.
There is a series of sixteen powerful descending groups, mostly in
accented groups of six beginning with a lower note (except for the
first two, which are shorter, and the last one, which is
extended). When the opening note reaches “middle D,” on the
eighth group, it stalls there, the following groups becoming wider and
continuing to reach downward. These groups move steadily down the
keyboard. The last is extended to eleven notes plus a final low
octave D, where the music pauses. The cadenza is unmeasured, and
notated as one bar.
DEVELOPMENTAL SECTION combining the music of various sections
6:20 [m. 294]--After the piano
cadenza, the instrument drops out. The following music is marked
“Meno Presto.” The strings alone play an imitative version of the
music from the third contrasting section (D) in G minor. The strings
enter from high to low, violin, viola, then cello. The
counterpoint continues for the first half of the phrase. In the
second half, the cello leads the viola, then the violin in each of the
first three bars. The phrase is extended by one bar, to nine
total. At the end, the music moves to its original harmony and
key areas of E and B. It also becomes quieter. The cello
links to the next passage with a trill.
6:43 [m. 303]--The music is
marked “Poco più Presto.” It is from the first and fourth
contrasting sections (B), and
played by the piano alone. There are two phrases, beginning in E
minor. The running scales in the right hand are not played as
fast as in the B
sections. The left hand plays two arching arpeggios, then breaks
into rising broken octaves. After the two phrases and a crescendo, the piano plays a long,
loud descending scale in one group of seven, then two groups of eight
notes plus the final note, all notated over two bars. The music
has moved to F-sharp minor, and the scale ends on the “dominant” note
of that key.
6:53 [m. 313]--The piano again
drops out, and the strings present an imitative version of the music
from the second and fifth contrasting sections (C). The violin leads the viola
and cello, who play together. There is a six-bar passage in
F-sharp minor. Then there is a four-bar passage with shorter
figures in A minor.
7:03 [m. 323]--The previous
passage merges into a new set of imitations with the viola and cello
now separated, the instruments entering top to bottom. There are
two three-bar sets of imitations. These are followed by six
one-bar groups where the viola and cello again enter together.
The music becomes steadily louder and faster and leads gradually back
to the home key of G minor.
7:13 [m. 335]--Transition to
coda. The piano plays the scurrying music of B while the strings play figures
reminiscent of C. The
piano enters surreptitiously as the previous passage ends. There
are three four-bar phrases, each one a fifth higher. The piano
bass, however, steadily plays broken octaves on D throughout. The
volume and speed steadily increase. After the third phrase, a
fourth one sequences two shorter units up two more steps as the
intensity increases. Then the piano breaks into cascading
arpeggios on a fifth phrase, the strings punctuating the beat.
7:28 [m. 355]--The strings
briefly drop out and the piano quiets down suddenly. The pace is
now very fast. The piano plays a series of four-note scale figures over
a rapid crescendo. The
constant bass octave D’s have now moved down lower and are played at
the same rate as the scales. After one phrase, the strings enter
on a powerful unison arpeggio for the last phrase and break into a
trill over the piano scales.
FOURTH RONDO THEME COMPLEX (CODA) - Molto Presto
7:34 [m. 363]--At breakneck
pace, the main Rondo theme enters after the arrival of the previous
scales and trill. It is essentially as at the beginning, but with
the piano left hand slightly simplified to accommodate the speed.
All instruments are playing at full volume.
7:41 [m. 375]--The contrasting
phrase begins, but after the first three-bar unit, a new such unit is
inserted to build intensity as the piano bass settles on broken
octaves. Then there is a third unit (expanding the phrase to
three of them) that is like the first one, but a third lower and with
more forward momentum.
7:47 [m. 384]--The three-bar
units are abandoned. The piano right hand and violin break into
two arching scales, then one purely ascending one, the piano playing in
octaves. The piano bass and cello thump on broken octaves, and
the viola provides double-stop harmony.
7:51 [m. 390]--At the arrival
point of the scales, the instruments all join in unison (the piano bass
in octaves) and play a series of sequences based on the main Rondo
theme, winding up for the close. These continue for nine bars,
retaining the spirit of the three-bar units. The movement and the
quartet are then closed by four powerful (harmonized) cadences.
The last one is held for two bars before cutting off sharply with a
unison G. Brahms notates a bar of rest after the cutoff, perhaps
to create an eight-bar cadence unit (if the arrival point of the unison
music--its ninth bar--is counted as the first bar of this unit).
8:10--END OF MOVEMENT [405 mm.]
END OF QUARTET
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