String Quartet No. 1 (Shostakovich)
Encyclopedia
Dmitri Shostakovich's
String Quartet No. 1 in C major (Op. 49) was composed in six weeks during the summer of 1938
. It carries no dedication.
This string quartet has none of the bravura of the fifth symphony
which preceded it. Instead, the composer seemed to have discovered a new kind of distinctly Russian neoclassicism. The tone is chiefly optimistic, although the minor-keyed inner movements provide a contrast. Shostakovich wrote of this quartet "I visualized childhood scenes, somewhat naïve and bright moods associated with spring."
. This premiere began a lifelong friendship between Shostakovich and the quartet.
, the work has four movements
:
Playing time is approximately 14 minutes.
(ending).
viola. This melody is not actually from a Russian folksong, but a creation by Shostakovich based on folksong tradition. After four melancholy variations, the music moves into a lighter mood for two variations, then back into minor for the last two variations. The movement ends with a pizzicato
A minor chord.
, is set in the remote key of C-sharp minor. It begins with a fast repetition of a single note on the viola in 3/4 time, creating a nervous mood. After a bit of fast melody, it then moves to a trio in F-sharp major which is slightly more relaxed, but still apprehensive and quick. The scherzo is repeated again, and an ironic coda, which references the trio, brings a close to the movement.
and light-hearted melodies. There is, however, still a darker side which clashes with the happy mood in the exciting development, which leads to the vibrant recapitulation and coda. The ending bars are an impressive climax, with the viola and cello playing rapid notes in their lowest registers while the violins hammer out C major chords above.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century....
String Quartet No. 1 in C major (Op. 49) was composed in six weeks during the summer of 1938
1938 in music
-Events:*January 16**Benny Goodman plays the first jazz concert at Carnegie Hall.**Béla Bartók's Sonata for two pianos and percussion is premiered in Basel....
. It carries no dedication.
This string quartet has none of the bravura of the fifth symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Shostakovich)
The Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, by Dmitri Shostakovich is a work for orchestra composed between April and July 1937. Its first performance was on November 21, 1937, in Leningrad by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra under Yevgeny Mravinsky...
which preceded it. Instead, the composer seemed to have discovered a new kind of distinctly Russian neoclassicism. The tone is chiefly optimistic, although the minor-keyed inner movements provide a contrast. Shostakovich wrote of this quartet "I visualized childhood scenes, somewhat naïve and bright moods associated with spring."
Premiere
The work was premiered in Leningrad on 10 October 1938 by the Glazunov Quartet. It was also premiered in Moscow on 16 November 1938 by the Beethoven QuartetBeethoven Quartet
The Beethoven Quartet was founded between 1922 and 1923 by graduates of the Moscow Conservatory: violinists Dmitri Tsyganov and Vasily Shirinsky, violist Vadim Borisovsky and cellist Sergei Shirinsky...
. This premiere began a lifelong friendship between Shostakovich and the quartet.
Form
In the traditional style of a string quartetString quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
, the work has four movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- ModeratoTempoIn musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
(4 min.) - Moderato (5 min.)
- Allegro molto (2 min.)
- Allegro (3 min.)
Playing time is approximately 14 minutes.
First Movement
The first movement, in C major, is in sonata-allegro form. The exposition starts with flowing chords under an opening theme, which then moves to a tentative but happy second theme pushed along by continuous short notes. After a brief development section and recapitulation, the movement closes with a content codaCoda (music)
Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...
(ending).
Second Movement
The happy mood of the first movement is contrasted by the slow second movement, in A minor. It consists of eight variations on a folk tune melody first played on the soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
viola. This melody is not actually from a Russian folksong, but a creation by Shostakovich based on folksong tradition. After four melancholy variations, the music moves into a lighter mood for two variations, then back into minor for the last two variations. The movement ends with a pizzicato
Pizzicato
Pizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
A minor chord.
Third Movement
The third movement, a scherzoScherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
, is set in the remote key of C-sharp minor. It begins with a fast repetition of a single note on the viola in 3/4 time, creating a nervous mood. After a bit of fast melody, it then moves to a trio in F-sharp major which is slightly more relaxed, but still apprehensive and quick. The scherzo is repeated again, and an ironic coda, which references the trio, brings a close to the movement.
Fourth Movement
The last movement, in the home key of C major, brings the springlike mood back full force, in the form of an energetic finale. The opening immediately sets a cheerful mood with trillsTrill (music)
The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill....
and light-hearted melodies. There is, however, still a darker side which clashes with the happy mood in the exciting development, which leads to the vibrant recapitulation and coda. The ending bars are an impressive climax, with the viola and cello playing rapid notes in their lowest registers while the violins hammer out C major chords above.