Classical Music | Music for Quartet

Recorded on 03/28/2006, uploaded on 01/24/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

In 1892, Claude Debussy found himself hopelessly struggling to complete his planned opera Rodrigue et Chimène, forcing himself to work with a libretto he knew was wholly incompatible with his concept of both music and drama. Ultimately, he abandoned the project and in the aftermath turned to the composition of chamber music. Two string quartets were planned, yet only one materialized—the String Quartet in G minor. Completed in 1893, it is considered a landmark in the history of chamber music, much in the same way Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune is in orchestral music. While its fame and importance is certainly solidified today, it was less than enthusiastically received at its premiere by the Ysaÿe Quartet on December 29, 1893.

Drawing on the principles of cyclic form which was used frequently by César Franck, Debussy’s String Quartet manages to stand upon the threshold between the waning Romantic tradition that had predominated Western music, while also looking forward to the techniques of the opening decades of the 20^th century. Harmony and melody likewise give way to Debussy’s burgeoning Impressionism, and despite the work’s keen motivic unity, rhythm and timbre often become the focus of the composer’s and thereby audience’s attention.

Cast in the traditional four-movement pattern, the String Quartet in G minor opens with an animated first movement whose initial theme becomes the principal motivic material for the entire piece. In the following scherzo, timbre is a critical element of the music as pizzicato and bowed playing are placed in close juxtaposition and even heard simultaneously, not in the typical context of melody and accompaniment, but as equally important aspects. The Andante third movement is a refreshing repose from the energetic movements that precede it and a breathtakingly beautiful gem in its own right. Lushly harmonized and lyrical outer sections frame a passionately introspective central episode that slowly builds in intensity as the melody is passed between the constituents of the quartet. The sprightly finale, according to Debussy himself, caused him the most grief in its composition. It opens with a slow introduction, serving as an effective bridge from the expressive third movement, before the movement’s chromatically-infused principal theme is heard first in the cello. Debussy creates a compelling conclusion to his quartet as the finale’s forward momentum refuses to be hindered, even in its softer moments, and ultimately culminating in a spirited G major coda.     Joseph DuBose

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String Quartet No.1 in G minor, Op.10      Claude Debussy

Claude Debussy is often regarded as one of the key figures to develop the style described as the musical equivalent of Impressionism in the visual arts.  Debussy himself preferred to be called a Symbolist.  However, just as the Impressionist painters used softer strokes to capture the essence of an ethereal moment or mood, Debussy's music bears a softer outline of harmony and an intoxicating mix of timbre and color.  Debussy was 31 years old when he composed the quartet in 1893, and it marked the birth of his personal musical language. 

In the opening of the first movement, a four-note motif is introduced which will appear in different guises in each of the movements.  Other melodies are heard between restatements of the motif, in slightly different forms each time. After a wide range of tonalities, the first movement closes in dramatic unison.

In the second movement, the theme is used in vivid ostinato figures by the viola, accompanied by the other three instruments in pizzicato. The theme then appears in the first violin in slow and expressive style, and is restated in pizzicato by all four instruments.

With the instruments muted, the third movement begins with a dreamlike introduction by the second violin, viola and cello, followed by the first violin softly singing a melody inspired by Russian songs. The four note motif appears in the central section and builds to a climax, after which the opening lyrical section of the movement returns.

The introduction of the final movement is based on the original motif. The cello starts a cryptic passage, using a transformation of the motif. The tempo speeds up as other instruments join, and then the theme is started by the viola, from the final notes of which, another melody is spun out. Shared notes of both themes become the accompaniment for the motif. At the end, the tonality changes from minor to major, and a reminder of the opening theme leads to an even faster coda.     Eusia String Quartet

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.