The String Quartet

A LIFE Institute CourseSession Six

Bob Fabianhttp://LIFEcourses.ca/Quartet

Approachable 20th Century

● Arnold Schoenberg 1878-1951● Benjamin Britten 1913-1976● Bela Bartók 1881-1945● William Schuman 1910-1992● Dmitri Shostakovitch 1906-1975● What comes next?

● Final bon-bon ...

“Modern” Classical Music!

● Death of tonality● Music doesn't need to be in a key● Can use less pleasing intervals● The patterns don't fit expectations

● Art for art's sake● Aim should not be to please community● Aim of artist should be to please himself● Appeals to smaller and smaller audience

Why?

● The world is no longer a well-structured place● Children don't follow in the footsteps of their parents● “Everything” doesn't automatically have its place● We have no option but to live with uncertainty

● Today's art should reflect today's reality● Reality is often uncomfortable● Today's art is also uncomfortable

● Both comfort from the past and challenge in the present are important, … and valuable

Course compromise

● Modern music is an acquired taste– I still don't like oysters; I never acquired the taste

● We'll sample early works – the composer is still finding his (her) way forward

– And more approachable composers have been selected

● Sample 20th century musical examples, not possible to survey

– Not enough time; Not enough good YouTube material

● Let's start

Arnold Schoenberg 1874-1951

● Born into lower middle-class Jewish family in Vienna

● Largely self-taught● In his 20's, employed to orchestrate

operettas ● Led German musical avant-garde

until the Nazis took over● In 1933 fled Europe, settled in

California Self-portrait

Film by Larry Weinstein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMyhx336i9Y

Transfigured Night, Op. 4

Emerson Quartet, extendedhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3x8siY2yKw

Transfigured Night (poem)

Benjamin Britten 1913-1976

● The leading English post-WW II composer● Studied at Royal College of Music, and

with Frank Bridge● In 1945, opera Peter Grimes won

international recognition● Successful pianist and conductor● Many works for the tenor Peter Pears● Pacifist, spent 1939-42 in the US● String quartets always important

The Life of Benjamin Britten

● Britten's life with Peter Pears● Provides life insight, does not attempt a balance view of his music

● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S31OGrGkL4

String Quartet No. 2, Op. 36

Amadeus Quartet (1977)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXUH-qTIGkA

Bela Bartók 1881-1945

● Father was a lesser Hungarian nobility; mother was Serbian (but spoke Hungarian)

● Began study of piano at age 4● Father died when he was 7; family

moved around● At 18, entered Royal Academy of

Music in Budapest; met Zoltan Kodaly – explored folk music

● Fled Nazi in 1940; died in NYC

Short Video Biography

Philharmonia Orchestra - Londonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isU-rq6p8ws

Bartók: Quartet No. 1, Op. 7

Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphiahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RL2GwK1lUw

William Schuman 1910-1992

● Born to a Jewish family in NYC● At 18 entered NYU's School of

Commerce● In 1930 attended his first Carnegie Hall

concert● "I was astounded at seeing the sea of stringed

instruments, and everybody bowing together. The visual thing alone was astonishing. But the sound! I was overwhelmed. I had never heard anything like it. The very next day, I decided to become a composer."

● Approachable, successful composer; senior arts administration

An Echo from the Past

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ20S10LWqo

Schuman: String Quartet No. 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRza749-mR8

Dmitri Shostakovich 1906-1975

● Born before the revolution; middle class family supported revolutionary aims

● At 13, he entered Petrograd Conservatory

● At 19, graduated with First Symphony as graduation piece

● The arts exploded in Russia during the 1920s

● First denunciation came in 1936● Was the leading WW II composer● Second denunciation came in 1948

life and times of Shostakovich

Director: Oliver Beckerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRJdd7VMyUU

Lecture/Demo

Jon Jeffrey Grier and the Athena Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hlewkOFmss

Great Performance of 8th Quartet

Borodin Quartethttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tby5aMrMu6Q

Sorry I missed ...

● Max Reger 1873-1916● Strong link to Bach; Schoenberg respected him

● George Enescu 1881-1955● Famed violinist; under-appreciated composer

● Robert Simpson 1921-1991● BBC music executive; prolific composer

● Mieczysław Weinberg 1919-1996● Fled Nazi invasion of Poland; friend of Shostakovich

● Heitor Villa-Lobos 1887-1959● Famed Brazilian composer; wrote 17 quartets

Limited time; limited knowledge; limited YouTube

Samples

● Reger – String Trio No. 2● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ox5GlIslI

● Enescu – String Octet in C● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugv_o2XsJoE

● Simpson – String Quartet No. 2 & 5● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbr11VpB2Bs

● Weinberg – String Quartet No. 3● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtQRjOmZA50

● Villa-Lobos – String Quartet No. 1● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugGiGkr41Aw

What comes next?

● Subscribe to chamber music series● Music in the Afternoon - $165/5 concerts

● Explore string quartet possibilities1)Start with Wikipedia on String Quartets

2)Identify an “interesting” composer 1)For example: Villa-Lobos

3)Search YouTube for his string quartets1)Dozens of Villa-Lobos quartet performances

● Let musically interesting quartets lead you to other interesting music

● Don't just settle for the familiar!

Final bon-bon ...

“I dig classical music!”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjRKurqZ6g