The
Austrian composer
Arnold Schoenberg published four string quartets, distributed over his lifetime. These were the
String Quartet No. 1 in
D minor, Op. 7 (
1905),
String Quartet No. 2 in
F sharp minor, Op. 10 (
1908),
String Quartet No. 3, Op
. 30 (
1927), and the
String Quartet No. 4, Op. 37 (1936).
String Quartet No. 2
This work in four movements was written during a very emotional time in
Schoenberg's life. Though it bears the dedication "to my wife", it was written during
Mathilde Schoenberg's affair with their friend and neighbour, artist
Richard Gerstl, in 1908. Previous dedicatees are guessed at to have been either
Arnold Rosé, the founder of the
Rosé Quartet (who performed Schoenberg's string quartets) or
Gustav Mahler, a good friend of Schoenberg.
The third and fourth movements are quite unusual for a string quartet, as they also include a soprano singer,
Marie Gutheil-Schoder, using poetry written by
Stefan George.
"I was inspired by poems of Stefan George, the
German poet, to compose music to some of his poems and, surprisingly, without any expectation on my part, these songs showed a style quite different from everything I had written before." - Arnold Schoenberg (
1937)
The first three movements are tonal, though as in his
First String Quartet this is the very extended tonality of the late
Romantic period. The first movement is in a compressed sonata form. The second movement, the scherzo, quotes a Viennese street-song, '
Oh du lieber Augustin' (Oh, dear
Augustin). The fourth movement has no key signature, and may be considered Arnold Schoenberg's first experiment in atonality, making use of the entire chromatic gamut, though its adventurous harmony comes to a close on a haunting
F sharp major chord. Its first performance was given by the Rosé Quartet and Marie Gutheil-Schoder in
Vienna on
December 21, 1908. The work was later revised in
1921; Schoenberg also made a version for full string orchestra.
1. Mäßig (Moderate), F sharp minor
2. Sehr rasch (Very brisk), D minor
3. "Litanei", langsam ("
Litany", slow),
E flat minor
4. "Entrückung", sehr langsam ("
Rapture", very slow), No key
The latter two movements of the
Second String Quartet are set to poems from Stefan George's collection Der siebente
Ring (
The Seventh Ring), which was published in 1907:
Litanei
Tief ist die trauer die mich umdüstert,
Ein tret ich wieder, Herr! in dein haus.
Lang war die reise, matt sind die glieder,
Leer sind die schreine, voll nur die qual.
Durstende zunge darbt nach dem weine.
Hart war gestritten, starr ist mein arm.
Gönne die ruhe schwankenden schritten,
Hungrigem gaume bröckle dein brot!
Schwach ist mein atem rufend dem traume,
Hohl sind die hände, fiebernd der mund.
Leih deine kühle, lösche der brände.
Tilge das hoffen, sende das licht!
Gluten im herzen lodern noch offen,
Innerst im grunde wacht noch ein schrei.
Töte das sehnen, schliesse die wunde!
Nimm mir die liebe, gib mir dein glück!
Entrückung
Ich fühle luft von anderem planeten.
Mir blassen durch das dunkel die gesichter
Die freundlich eben noch sich zu mir drehten.
Und bäum und wege die ich liebte fahlen
Dass ich sie kaum mehr kenne und du lichter
Geliebter schatten—rufer meiner qualen--
Bist nun erloschen ganz in tiefern gluten
Um nach dem taumel streitenden getobes
Mit einem frommen schauer anzumuten.
Ich löse mich in tönen, kreisend, webend,
Ungründigen danks und unbenamten lobes
Dem grossen atem wunschlos mich ergebend.
Mich überfährt ein ungestümes wehen
Im rausch der weihe wo inbrünstige schreie
In staub geworfner beterinnen flehen:
Dann seh ich wie sich duftige nebel lüpfen
In einer sonnerfüllten klaren freie
Die nur umfängt auf fernsten bergesschlüpfen.
Der boden schüffert weiss und weich wie molke.
Ich steige über schluchten ungeheuer.
Ich fühle wie ich über letzter wolke
In einem meer kristallnen glanzes schwimme--
Ich bin ein funke nur vom heiligen feuer
Ich bin ein dröhnen nur der heiligen stimme.
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The text above is offered by courtesy of
Wikipedia, under a
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Classical music piece performed by:
Mary Elizabeth Mackenzie, soprano; Musicians from
Ravinia's Steans
Institute
Licensed by:
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Music license:
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Website: www.gardnermuseum.org
Picture of Schoenberg used by courtesy of
Arnold Schönberg Center
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- published: 15 Jun 2014
- views: 31005