Regretfully, I cannot take credit for that humor. That came directly from Mrs. spel! ;-)
This July we have our annual festival of three concerts per week for four weeks with some of the best musicians in the game. The concerts are broadcast live over KING-FM in Seattle, which has a national following thanks to the miracle of the Internet. If you’re listening for me, I’ll be sitting in the last row in the back because that’s where the acoustics are best.
This July 11 performance will feature Karen Gomyo on first violin, Jun Iwasaki on second violin, Kevin Chen on viola and Clive Greensmith on cello.
”Papa Joe” Haydn invented the string quartet as we know it, and he was a prolific composer of quartets. His later quartets were premiered in private with himself on first violin, kid brother Mike on second violin, Mozart on viola, and Karl von Dittersdorf on cello, no doubt taking copious notes.
The first movement is marked “allegro di molto e scherzando,” “quickly in the style of a joke.” It’s in sonata format, so you know what to listen for by now.
These videos are from London, featuring the Doric String Quartet, whom I saw play in Vancouver a few months ago. They’re exceptional.
The second movement in E Major is marked “adagio cantabile,” “at rest and songlike.” It’s in ternary format, A-B-A, so it should be easy to parse. The central panel turns to the minor, which throws a shadow over the proceedings.
The third movement, a minuet, is short and sweet, marked simply “allegro.” It’s full of Haydn’s little musical surprises, like unexpected silences and drone-like hurdy-gurdy effects in the middle “trio” section. It ends unexpectedly with one phrase of the trio left hanging in midair.
The finale is a short tour de force, a three-part fugue, and a fine example of academic writing done with snap and style. It’s marked “allegro,” and it’s quite a workout for the musicians.
She’s good! :)