Extended String Techniques and Special Effects in Arnold ...
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APPROVED:
Julia Bushkova, Major Professor David Bard-Schwarz, Committee Member Susan Dubois, Committee Member Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate
Studies in the College of Music John W. Richmond, Dean of the College of
Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse
Graduate School
EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES AND SPECIAL EFFECTS IN ARNOLD SCHOENBERG’S
STRING QUARTET NO. 1 AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN
CHAMBER MUSIC LITERATURE
Leah Greenfield, B.M, G.D, M.M.
Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
August 2017
Greenfield, Leah. Extended String Techniques and Special Effects in Arnold Schoenberg’s
String Quartet No. 1 and Its Significance in Chamber Music Literature. Doctor of Musical Arts
(Performance), August 2017, 79 pp., 23 figures, bibliography, 47 titles.
Arnold Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 stands out as being the first chamber
music piece to use a vast number and variety of extended string techniques within one
composition. This paper examines a brief history of extended string techniques in chamber
music, analyses the unique ways in which Schoenberg applied extended string techniques to
manipulate motives in his Op. 7 quartet, and ultimately shows that Schoenberg’s use of
extended string techniques influenced future composers to employ even more extended
techniques and special effects in their own twentieth-century chamber music.
ii
Copyright 2017
by
Leah Greenfield
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend a deep appreciation to my committee: Professor Julia Bushkova,
Dr. David Bard-Schwarz, and Dr. Susan Dubois, for their time and dedication to both this
dissertation and my corresponding lecture recital. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr.
Margaret Notley for exploring this subject with me in her seminar class, Chamber Music in
Vienna, at the University of North Texas, and encouraging me to pursue the topic of extended
string techniques in Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1 Op. 7.
A huge thank you goes to my colleagues: Dr. Zo Manfredi, Dr. Veronika Vassileva, and
DMA candidate Lejing Zhou for performing with me at my lecture recital, and to Professor
Bushkova and Dr. George Papich for coaching our group. Lastly, I would like to thank my family
for their years of never-ending support and inspiration.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... v
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2: DEFINITION OF EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES AND THEIR HISTORY IN CHAMBER MUSIC 5
CHAPTER 3: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SCHOENBERG’S LIFE AND HIS OPUS 7 STRING QUARTET NO. 1 IN D MINOR ................................................................................................................................ 22
CHAPTER 4: PASSAGES OF EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES WITHIN SCHOENBERG’S OPUS 7 QUARTET ....................................................................................................................................... 31
CHAPTER 5: DRAWING A LINEAGE FROM SCHOENBERG TO BARTÓK: EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES IN CHAMBER MUSIC AFTER 1905 ........................................................................... 66
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 73
BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................. 75
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LIST OF FIGURES
Page Figure 1: Capriccio Stravagante by Carlo Farina, mm. 288-298 ................................................... 10
Figure 2: Capriccio Stravagante by Carlo Farina, mm. 103-112 ................................................... 11
Figure 3: Boccherini String Quartet Op. 9 No. 3, Trio from his third movement ......................... 13
Figure 4: String Quartet No. 14, op. 131 by Ludwig van Beethoven, fifth movement ................. 14
Figure 5: Sul Ponticello in Grieg String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27, first movement, Rehearsal Q to the end ................................................................................................................................................ 17
Figure 6: String Quartet in G Minor Op. 10 by Claude Debussy ................................................... 20
Figure 7: A brief form overview of Schoenberg’s Op. 7 String Quartet ....................................... 29
Figure 8: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A61-A63 ........................ 32
Figure 8b: Reduction to show semitones ..................................................................................... 33
Figure 9: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, m. A71 .................................. 34
Figure 10: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A83-A84 ...................... 35
Figure 11: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A96-B14 ...................... 36
Figure 12: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. E128-F10 .................... 39
Figure 12b: Harmonic reduction ................................................................................................... 40
Figure 12c: Harmonic reduction of mm. F1-F9 ............................................................................. 41
Figure 13: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. G-G37 ......................... 43
Figure 14: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. K73-K77 ...................... 48
Figure 15: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. L22-L38 ....................... 50
Figure 16: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. 8-10 ............................ 53
Figure 16b: Intervallic sequences within motive x ....................................................................... 54
Figure 17: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. C9-C11 ........................ 55
Figure 18: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. C10-C30 ...................... 56
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Figure 19: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. N80-O ......................... 61
Figure 20: String Quartet Op. 3 by Alban Berg, First movement, mm. 41-47 .............................. 67
Figure 21: String Quartet Op. 3 by Alban Berg, First movement, mm. 75-82 .............................. 68
Figure 22: String Quartet No. 3 by Béla Bartók, second movement, Rehearsal 25 ..................... 71
Figure 23: String Quartet No. 4 by Béla Bartók, fourth movement, mm. 55-62 .......................... 71
CHAPTER1
INTRODUCTION
Thereissomethingintrinsicallybeautifulaboutthesoundofabowedstringinstrument,
aqualitythatisdifficulttoputintowords.Physically,astringinstrumentisdesignedtoring
withharmonicovertones,creatingaclearandopensound.Thebowenablessustainedtone
productionthatisnotaseasilyachievablewithaninstrumentcontrolledbybreathorby
strikingakey.ViolinistandcomposerCharlesDeBériotwroteoftheviolin’sabilityto“render
allthetender,plaintiveandsorrowfulexpressionsofthesentimentsofthesoul”,1andspokeof
its“truemission,whichisthatofimitatingtheaccentsofthehumanvoice”.2Istronglyagree
withthesesentimentsthatthestringinstrumentsstandoutasevokinghumansounds,imitative
ofthenaturalsingingvoice.
Onoccasion,composersemploytechniqueswhichrequirethatthebowdoesnotdraw
acrossthestringinitstypicalmanner.Theseextendedstringtechniques,achievablethrough
alterationstotypicalplayingmethodsineitherthelefthandorrighthand,drivetheinstrument
tosoundharshorpercussive,or,alternatively,farawayandeerie,addingavarietyofcolors
andeffectstothetypicalscopeofthestringplayer’ssound.Extendedstringtechniqueschange
thesingingessenceinthestringinstrument’ssound,sothatthetechniquesstandoutinstark
contrasttothetypicalvoiceofthestringinstrument.Inmyexperienceasateacheranda
1CharlesdeBériot,Methodedeviolon/Violin-school,Op.102(NewYork:G.Schirmer,1927),240.2Ibid.,1.
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performer,Ihavefoundthatbothexperiencedmusiciansandnovicelistenersalikeimmediately
recognizethechangeinsoundqualitybetweennormalstringplayingandextendedstring
techniques.
Thesoundsofextendedstringtechniquesvarygreatlydependingontheircontext.For
example,ifanentirestringsectionplayedwithcollegno3bowinginanorchestra,therewould
beapronouncedpercussivesound,whereasthatsoundwouldlikelybesubtlerwithasolo
violinistoronlyafewstringplayersplayingtogether.Ontheotherhand,atechniquesuchas
sulponticello4tendstohaveamorepronouncedsoundinchambermusicbecauseallthe
overtonesproducedbyplayingonthebridgewouldbeaudibleandnotcoveredbyother
instrumentsastheymightbeinanorchestralsetting.
Extendedstringtechniquesandspecialstringeffectswerenotuncommoninorchestral
musicbytheendofthenineteenthcentury;manyprominentexamplesexistsuchasthecol
legnopassageinSymphonieFantastiquebyHectorBerlioz(1830),andpassagesofsulponticello
inTristanundIsoldebyWagner(1857-59),aswellasinGustavMahler’sFifthSymphony
(1904).5Thesetechniqueswereslowertoappearinchambermusic,butthiswouldchangeafter
ArnoldSchoenbergwrotehisStringQuartetNo.1,Op.7inDminor,6alandmarkworkinthe
3Collegno:Bouncingorstrikingthewoodofthebowagainstthestringtoproduceapercussivesound.ThistermwillbediscussedmoreextensivelyinChapter2.4Sulponticello:Placingthebowbyoronthebridge,whichcaneitheremphasize,eliminateordistortthehigherpartials,resultinginaharshsound.ThistermwillbediscussedmoreextensivelyinChapter2.5NormanDelMar,AnatomyoftheOrchestra(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1981),79-85.ThisbookprovidesmusicalexamplesfromthepiecesthatImentioned,aswellasevenmoreexamplesofcoloristicusesofthebow.6Schoenbergactuallywroteonestringquartetbeforethisonethatwaspublishedposthumously,soinordertoavoidanydiscrepanciesinnumbering,IrefertothisquartetthroughoutthedocumentasSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartet.
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useofthesetechniquesintwentieth-centurychambermusic.
Littlediscussionexistsregardingstringtechniquesinthechambermusicrepertoirein
theearly20thcentury,butwhenthetopicisaddressed,scholarsmostoftenciteBélaBartókfor
theextendedstringtechniquesinhisfourstringquartets.7Yet,Schoenbergusedalarge
numberofthesetechniquesveryextensivelyinhisfirstpublishedstringquartet,composedin
1905,yearsbeforecomposerssuchasBartókusedthesametechniquestomuchgreater
acclaim.
AperusalofthescoreofSchoenberg’sOp.7StringQuartetrevealsclearpatternsin
Schoenberg’sapplicationofthesetechniques.Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesand
specialeffectsintransitionsbetweenformalsections,creatingastrikinglydifferenttypeof
soundinthosepassages.Inthemostextremecases,heusedthesetechniquestoreplacethe
developmentofmotives,whichdisappearinsectionsof“liquidation”(Schoenberg’sterm).8
ThispaperwillelucidatethethreewaysSchoenbergcontributedtoextendedstringtechniques
andspecialeffectsinchambermusicwithhisOp.7StringQuartet:byusinganunprecedented
numberofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonesinglestringquartet;byusingthemto
amplifyordisintegratefamiliarmotiveswiththeaimofmakinganeffectivetransitionbetween
thematicsectionsofthequartet;andbycreatingwhatIseeasamodelforfuturecomposers
7Forexample,inPatriciaStrange’sbook,“TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechnique”(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),shegivesmultipleexamplesofBartók’sstringquartets,asdoestheentryfor“sulponticello”intheGroveMusicEncyclopedia("Sulponticello,"GroveMusicOnline.OxfordMusicOnline.OxfordUniversityPress,accessedOctober12,2016,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/27102.).8Liquidation,accordingtoSchoenberg,is“graduallyeliminatingcharacteristicfeatures[ofatheme],untilonlyuncharacteristiconesremain,whichnolongerdemandacontinuation”[ArnoldSchoenbergandGeraldStrang,FundamentalsofMusicalComposition(NewYork:St.Martin’sPress,1967),58].
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interestedinapplyingextendedstringtechniquesintheirownchambermusic.
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CHAPTER2
DEFINITIONOFEXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUES
ANDTHEIRHISTORYINCHAMBERMUSIC
2.1DefinitionofExtendedStringTechniques
Currentlythereisnopublishedorwidelyaccepteddefinitionoftheterm“extended
stringtechnique”,noristhereaclearlinebetweenwhatconstitutesanextendedstring
techniqueversusastandardone.PerformerandauthorPatriciaStrangereferstoextended
stringperformancetechniqueas“extensionsofnormalbowing[orfingering]technique”.9
MusicologistPeterWallsequatesthesetechniqueswithspecialeffects,andexplainshowthey
changethetimbrefromthetypicalsoundoftheinstrument.10Forthepurposesofthispaper,I
willdefine“extendedstringtechniques”as:bowingsandfingeringmethodsoutsideofthose
typicallyusedtoplayastringinstrument,thatchangethenormaltonecolorortimbreofthe
instrument.
ThefollowingdefinitionsofspecificstringtechniquescomefromDavidBoyden’sarticles
aboutspecificstringtechniquesintheNewGroveMusicEncyclopedia,PatriciaStrange’sbook
TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechniques,andHectorBerlioz’sGrandtraité
9PatriciaandAllenStrange,TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechniques(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),30.10Werner Bachmann, et al. "Bow," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press,accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/03753.
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d'instrumentationetd'orchestrationmodernes.
Consordino(trans.“withmute”):Placingamuteonthebridge.Whilethisisastandard
stringtechniquewhenitisusedforthepurposeofmakingastringinstrumentsofter,italso
createsatimbraleffectthatgivesa“mournful,mysterious,andsoftenedtone”.11
Collegnobattuto(trans.“hitwiththewood”):Bouncingorstrikingthewoodofthebow
againstthestringtoproduceapercussivesound.Berliozreferredtothiseffectas“terrible
combinedwiththegrotesque”,12andsuggestedthatitshouldonlybeusedrarelyandfora
definitepurpose.13
Harmonics:Changingthenormaltimbreofthestringinstrumentbylightlypressingon
oneofthestring’sharmonicnodes(naturalharmonics),orpressingfirmlywithonefingerto
shortenit,andthenlightlypressingwithahigherfingerononeofthenodesoftheshortened
string(artificialharmonics).Berliozwrote,“Theseharmonicshaveapeculiarcharacterof
mysterioussoftness”.14Headdedthattheir“delicacyandtenuity…andtheircrystallinequality
renderthemappropriatetochordsthatmaybecalledfairy-like,thatistosay,tothoseeffects
ofharmonywhichinspirebrilliantmusings,andcarrytheimaginationtowardsthemost
gracefulfictionsofthepoeticalandsupernaturalworld.”15ItappearsthatSchoenbergused
harmonicsinhisOp.7stringquartettothesameeffect.
11HectorBerliozandMaryCowdenClarke,ATreatiseonModernInstrumentationandOrchestration;ToWhichIsAppendedtheChefD'orchestre(London:Novello,Ewer,1882),16.12Ibid.,21.13Ibid.,21.14Ibid.,2115Ibid.,14.
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Sulponticello(or,inGerman,amSteg16):Placingthebowbyoronthebridge,whichcan
eitheremphasize,eliminateordistortthehigherpartials,resultinginaharshsound.Thesul
ponticellotechniquehasareputationthroughouthistoryasbeingadistinctlyunappealing
sound.MusicologistElisabethLeGuindescribedsulponticelloasa“glassy,choked,anddistant
tone”,17andemphasizedthatexecutingasulponticellosoundrequiresagreatdealofrestraint,
duetothedifficultyofkeepingthebowsoclosetothebridge.
Sulponticellocanhaveadifferenteffectdependingonitsdynamic.Regardingaloudsul
ponticello,Berliozwrote,“Iknownothingofthiskindmoredramaticormoreterrible.”18Sul
ponticellocreatesalessabrasiveeffectwhenusedinpianissimo,suchasintheopeningofthe
secondactofTristanandIsolde,where,asdescribedbyRichardStrauss,“thistremoloeffect
nearthebridge(depictingtherustlingoftheleavesandtheblowingofthewind)producesa
feelingofaweandapprehensioninthelistener”.19
Sultasto:Synonymouswithflautando,sultastoistheplacementofthebownearthe
fingerboard,whichalsochangesthemixofovertonesandcreatesahollowsound,similartothe
soundoftheflute.
Tremolo:Strangewrites:
Thewordtremolonolongermeansonlyarapidupanddownmovementofthebowthatproducesaquickreiterationofthesamesound.Acarefullyarticulatedtremolocanbeperceivedeitherasatimbralorarhythmicevent.Thebeginningofeachbowstrokecontainstransientnoisebursts--thesoundoftherosinedbowhairgrabbingthe
16InbothSchoenberg’sandBerg’sstringquartets,thisinstructionisinGermanratherthanthetypicalItalianphrase.17ElisabethLeGuin,Boccherini'sBody:AnEssayinCarnalMusicology(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2006),127.18HectorBerliozandRichardStrauss,TreatiseonInstrumentation(NewYork:Dover,1991),18.19Ibid.,17.
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string.Ifafast,regulartremoloisexecuted,thesetransientswillblendtogether,formingatimbraleffectcharacterizedbyanadditionalnoiseband.20
AnotherstringtechniquethatshouldbeconsideredwhenlookingatSchoenberg’s
quartetispizzicato,orpluckingthestringwithanupwardmotion.WhileIfocuslessonthis
techniquebecauseSchoenbergdidnotseemtoapplythistechniqueduringtransitionsashedid
withtheothers,pizzicatoissometimespresentwhileotherextendedstringtechniquesare
occurring,asIwillshowinChapter4.Finally,ordinarioistheinstructionmostoftenusedto
indicatethattheperformershouldceaseplayingwithanystringtechnique.
Itisdebatablewhetherallcontemporaryviolinistswouldconsiderthesetechniques
“extended”,especiallysincetremoloandconsordinowerecommonpracticebytheendofthe
nineteenthcentury.However,sincethesestringtechniquesareallinnovativecharacteristicsin
chambermusicintotheearlytwentiethcenturyandareutilizedtocreateanarrayoftimbres
andcolors,Icallalloftheabovetermsextendedstringtechniquesandspecialeffectswithin
thecontextofSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartet.
2.2UseofExtendedStringTechniquesinChamberMusicupto1904
Theuseofextendedstringtechniquesinbothorchestralandchambermusicwas
encouragedbyHectorBerlioz,whousedavarietyofextendedstringtechniquesinhisown
SymphonieFantastique(1830).21Afterthecompositionofhissymphonyandpublicationofhis
20PatriciaandAllenStrange,TheContemporaryViolin,30.21HectorBerlioz,Symphoniefantastique:episodeinthelifeofanartist:op.14(Mineola,N.Y.:DoverPublications,1997),Consordinooccursintheopeningmeasures.Thereistremoloisintheopeningofthesecondmovement,
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1844treatise,oneofthefirstpublicationstodefinetheapplicationandtheeffectofthese
techniques,extendedstringtechniquesbecamemorecommonintheorchestralsetting,heard
incompositionssuchasinWagner’sTristanundIsolde(1859),22andRichardStrauss’stone
poems.23Iwillnotgointodetailwiththoseexamples,asthispaperfocusesontheuseof
extendedstringtechniqueswithinthechambermusicgenre,butIbelievethatBerlioz’streatise
ledtotheincreaseduseofextendedstringtechniques,appearingfirstinorchestralmusic,and
soonafter,inchambermusicaswell.
Thischapterlooks atapplicationsofthesetechniquesinchambermusicupuntil
1905,whenSchoenberg’sOp.7quartetwaspublished,dividedintothefollowingcategories:
1.Earlyexperimentationinthe17thcentury
2. SulPonticelloforcontrast:fromBoccherinitoGrieg
3. Avarietyofextendedstringtechniques:DebussyandRavel.
2.2.1. EarlyExperimentationinthe17thCentury
CarloFarina’sCapriccioStravagante(1627)standsoutasparadingafascinatingvariety
ofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonechamberwork;suchanintenseuseofthese
techniqueswithinchambermusicwasnotseenagainuntiltheearly1900s.Thecompositionisa
longdancepiecewithepisodesofprogrammaticmusic.Farinacalledforextendedstring
consordinoattheopeningofthefifthmovement,andcollegnoatRehearsal83ofthefifthmovement.22RichardWagner,TristanundIsolde:completeorchestralscore(NewYork:DoverPublications,1973),SulPonticellocanbefoundinAct2,Scene1,startinginm.47.23RichardStraussandWilliamShakespeare,Macbeth:SinfonischeDichtung,op.23(London:ErnstEulenburg,1970),sulponticellotremoloepisodesoccurintermittentlyfrom16afterRehearsalBuntilRehearsalE.Also,inRichardStrauss,DonJuan:op.20(Mineola,NY:DoverPublications,2001),thereare10measuresofsulponticellotremolostartingatRehearsalV.
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techniquestoimitatethesoundsofanimalsandotherinstruments.Inthefollowingexcerpt,Il
Gatto(“TheCat”),Farinainstructed,“Thecatisplayedbymakingthenotesdie,thatis,by
shiftingthe[left]handbackwardsalittleatatime;butthesixteenthnotesareplayed
ungracefullyandbadly,thatis,bymakingthebowrunaboveandbelowthebridge,justascats
dowhentheyscatteraway.”24Theseinstructionsdescribethemodern-dayglissandiand,whatI
deduceisthetechniqueofplayingbehindthebridge.
Figure1:CapriccioStravagantebyCarloFarina,mm.288-298.
Inmm.289-294,thehalfnotesaretobeplayedwithglissandi,likelytorepresentthe
meowingsoundofcats,andthefinalmeasureofrapidsixteenthnotesistobeplayedwiththe
24RebeccaCypess,"“DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten”:CarloFarina'sCapricciostravagante(1627)andtheCulturesofCollectingattheCourtofSaxony."MusicalQuarterly95,no.1:6.
202 Carlo Farina, Œuvres complètes, livre 2, éd. Aurelio Bianco
288
Die Katze
295 Hier endet sich die Katze
299
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bowonbothsidesofthebridge.Byusingtheseeffectsinsuchaninnovativeway,onecan
imaginethesoundofcatsmeowingcatsandthenscurryingaway.Asindicatedinmeasure295,
thecatexcerptends,andthemusicresumeswithoutornamentationorspecialtechniques.
Inadditiontothesoundsofanimals,Farinaalsousedthestringconsorttorepresent
instrumentsoutsideofthestringfamily.BelowisanexcerptwhereFarinainstructedtheplayer
tousecollegno,writing“here[theplayer]hitsthewoodofthebowagainstthestrings”:25
Figure2:CapriccioStravagantebyCarloFarina,mm.103-112
Intheappendix,Farinawrotethat“these[notes]arehitwiththewoodofthebow,as
25Cypess,"DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten,”29.
11
tabor26playersdo;thatis,itisnotnecessarytoleavethebowstillfortoolong,butratherto
springawaydirectlyafterward.”27
CapriccioStravaganteisanoutlierintermsofthetrajectoryofextendedstring
techniquesinchambermusic.Manyofthesetechniqueswerenotusedagainasprogrammatic
elementsuntilapproximately200yearslater,inBerlioz’sSymphonyFantastique,anditwould
beevenlongerbeforecomposersusedextendedstringtechniquestothisextentagainin
chambermusic.Thatbeingsaid,Ifinditcrucialtorecognizethatexperimentswiththesound
capabilitiesofthestringinstrumentinchambermusicdateasfarbackastheseventeenth
century.
2.2.2. SulPonticelloforContrast:FromBoccherinitoGrieg
Thefollowingexamplesofchambermusiccontainingsulponticellospanalmosta
century.Whilethestyles,countryofcomposition,andtime-periodvarygreatly,thecommon
threadisthatthesulponticellopassagesineachofthesethreepiecesprovidemarkedcontrast
fromthesurroundingmaterialand,insomeinstances,adistinctdeparturefromthemusic
surroundingtheoccurrence.
TheearliestexampleofusingsulponticelloforcontrastthatIcouldfindisLuigi
Boccherini’sStringQuartetOp.9No.3(1772),whichhasaminuetmovementwhosetrio
sectionalternatesbetweensulponticelloanddolce(inthiscase,dolceseemstosignifya
cessationofthesulponticellobowing),creatingdisparitybetweenthetwosoundcolors(Figure
26Thetaborisaportablesnaredrum.27Cypess,"DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten,”4.
12
3).
Figure3:BoccheriniStringQuartetOp.9No.3,TheTriofromhisthirdmovement
Inthisexcerpt,thesulponticellobowingoccursinwhatIlabelas“PhraseA”:abusyand
diatonicmelodywithdetachébowing.Incontrast,thedolcephrase,whichIlabelas“PhraseB”,
islegatoandslowerinrhythm.WhilePhraseAisdecidedlyinthetonickey,PhraseBismore
melodicallychromaticandharmonicallydissonant,andmovestoahalfcadence.Thesul
ponticellobowingprovidesanotherlayerofdistinctionbetweenthetwophrases,and,when
combinedwiththechangeinharmonyandarticulation,emphasizesthemarkedcontrast
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betweenthephrases.28
Thenextprominentexampleofextendedstringtechniquesinchambermusicwas
LudwigvanBeethoven’suseofsulponticellointhefifthmovementofhisOp.131stringquartet
(1826).ThiswasBeethoven’sfourteenthstringquartet,andthefirstandonlytimethatheused
sulponticelloinhischambermusic.Thesulponticellopassageoccursinthecoda,before
transitioningtothemovement’sfinalflourish(Figure4).
Figure4(pg.1of2):StringQuartetNo.14,op.131byLudwigvanBeethoven,final30measuresofthefifthmovement.
28Asanaside,fromaperformer’sperspective,thiswouldbeadifficultbowingtoexecutecorrectly,asthereisverylittletimetotransitionfromsulponticellosixteenthnotestodolcelegatobowing.
14
Figure4(pg.2of2):StringQuartetNo.14,op.131byLudwigvanBeethoven,final30measuresofthe
fifthmovement.
Themajorityofthesulponticellowritingiswithpianissimodynamic.Thecello,inthis
passage,isintheextremeupperregisterofitsrange,andstaysonthedominantpedalalmost
fortheentiretyofthesulponticellopassage.Theinstructiondacapoperl’ordinarioinmeasure
488tellstheperformerstoreturntoordinarybowing,andatthispoint,thedynamicrisesand
thecelloreturnstoitsnormalrange,andoutlinesthetonicinsteadofthedominantchord.I
findtheeffecttobefullofsardonichumor.Thesulponticellotechniquesuppressesand
restrainsthesound.This,combinedwiththeextremelyhighregisterofthecelloandfirstviolin,
createsapianissimotensionthatgreatlycontrastswiththelightnessofthemelodythatthey
15
areplaying.
Lastly,EdvardGriegemployedsulponticelloinawaythatisremarkablysimilartooneof
Schoenberg’susesofsulponticellothatwewillseelater.Neartheendofthefirstmovementof
Grieg’sStringQuartetNo.1Op.27,writtenin1878,therhythmslowsdown,thereisa
decrescendofromfortissimotopianississimo,andagrandpause.Then,thecelloplaysaslow
expressivemelodywhichtheupperthreevoicesaccompanywithtremoloandsulponticello
bowing.Thecombinationoftremoloandsulponticellotogetherproducesasoundthatis
greatlymoreintensethaneithertechniquealonewouldmake,heighteningtheeffectofthis
accompaniment.Thereisafermataattheendofthesection,andthenacontrastingexuberant
Prestofinalewithnormalstringsoundtofinishthemovement.AsIwillshowinchapter4,
Schoenbergsetupthisverystructureinhisquartet,usingsulponticello(andsometimesthe
combinationofsulponticelloandtremolo)initsownsection,completelyapartfromtherestof
thesurroundingmusic,andbookendedoneachsidewithfermatas,entirelyseparatingthesul
ponticellosectionintoitsownentity.
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Figure5(pg.1of3):SulPonticelloinGriegStringQuartetNo.1,Op.27,firstmovement,rehearsalQ-end.
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19
6and7),usingthebrightversusmutedsoundstocreatecontrastbetweenthetwosections.
Figure6:StringQuartetinGMinorOp.10byClaudeDebussy,openingofthethirdmovementincon
sordino.
Figure6cont.:m.37ofDebussy’sStringQuartet,contrastingsenzasordinosection.
Intheaboveexamples,Figure6isfulloffermatasandpauses,creating,inmyopinion,
theimpressionofspaciousness.Themusicimmediatelybecomesmoreactiveasthemutesare
removed(Figure6cont.).
Ravelmadeextensiveuseofthesestringtechniquesinhisquartet,29suchasacomplete
themeinpizzicatoinhissecondmovement,30amutedmiddlesectioninthesecondmovement,
29Ravel,Maurice,StringquartetinFmajor,NewYork:InternationalMusic,1942.30Ibid.,RehearsalLettersH–L.
20
softtremoloasaspecialeffectintransitionalsections,andafinalemovementthatbarelyhasa
momentdevoidoftremolo.
Alloftheaboveexamplesshowthatcomposerswerestartingtousepassagesof
extendedstringtechniquesinchambermusicmorefrequentlyintheyearsleadingupto1905,
andthatthetechniqueswereusedtocreateacontrastfromthesurroundingmusicalmaterial.
Insomecases,theextendedstringtechniquescreatedalouderormoreintensesound,suchas
withRavel’stremolo,andothertimesthetechniquescreatedaveryspecial,almostethereal,
farawaysound,suchaswithDebussy’sandGrieg’susesofsulponticello.
Ilistedtheseexamplesfortworeasons:firstly,tocompareandcontrastextendedstring
techniquesinquartetsthatprecededSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartetinordertoseepatternsin
howextendedstringtechniquesevolvedwithinchambermusic.Secondly,theseexamplesare
presentinordertodemonstratethatSchoenberg’sstringquartetisuniqueincomparisontoall
oftheaboveexamples,sinceSchoenbergusedmanymoretechniquesthroughouthisentire
Op.7StringQuartet,andalsomorevariedthewaysinwhichheusedthem.
IshowinChapter4howSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquestotransition
betweenthemesandformalsectionsofhisstringquartet,inadditiontoliquidatingmotivesand
creatinginterruptionstotheflow.However,inordertohavesomebackgroundinformation,
firstIprovideabriefbiographyofSchoenberg,aswellasintroducetheformoftheOp.7String
Quartet.
21
CHAPTER3
ABRIEFOVERVIEWOFARNOLDSCHOENBERG’S
LIFEANDHISOPUS7STRINGQUARTETNO.1INDMINOR
ThefirstsectionofthischapterisaglimpseintoSchoenberg’sbiographyand
compositionaloutput,presentinginformationthatIbelieveissignificantwhenexamining
extendedstringtechniquesinhisOp.7StringQuartet.Foramuchcloserlookathislife,letters,
writtenpublications,andhiscompositions,IhighlyrecommendvisitingtheArnoldSchönberg
Centerwebsite.31Thesecondsectionofthischapterwillgiveaformaloverviewofthestring
quartet,andshowwheretheextendedstringtechniquesexistinthequartet,beforelookingat
theseexamplesindetailinChapter4.
3.1ArnoldSchoenberg’sLifeandEarlyWorks:ABriefOverview
ArnoldSchoenbergwasbornonSeptember13,1874inVienna.BornintoaJewish
familywithmodestincomeandlimitedexposuretomusicaltraining,32Schoenbergbegan
studyingtheviolinatage8,andbeganteachinghimselftocomposeandarrangemusicaround
thesametime.33Throughouthisyoungadultyears,Schoenbergtaughthimselfcello,formedan
amateurstringquartetwithhisfriends,andlearnedaboutcompositionalformandharmony
31ArnoldSchönbergCenter,AccessedMarch16,2017,http://www.schoenberg.at/index.php/en.32O.W.Neighbour,"Schoenberg,Arnold,"GroveMusicOnline,OxfordMusicOnline,OxfordUniversityPress,accessedMarch14,2017,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/25024.33Ibid.
22
withtheassistanceofhisfriends,aswellasbyreadingencyclopediaarticlesonthesubjects.34
In1894,SchoenbergjoinedanamateurorchestraconductedbyAlexandervon
Zemlinsky,anesteemedcomposerandteacherwhobecameSchoenberg’slifelongfriend,and
hisonlyregularteacher.ZemlinskyalsobecameSchoenberg’sbrother-in-law,whenSchoenberg
marriedZemlinsky’ssisterMathildein1901.35
SchoenbergandZemlinskytaughttogetherinVienna,andSchoenberg’sprivate
studentsincludedAntonWebernandAlbanBerg.In1918,SchoenbergfoundedtheSocietyfor
PrivateMusicalPerformancesinVienna,anesteemedprivategroupthatwouldgivewell-
rehearsedperformancesofmodernmusictointerestedmembers,withoutthepressureof
pleasingthepressorthepublicaudience.Althoughthesocietywasshort-lived,inthreeyears,
theygave353performancesof154workswithin117concerts.36
Severalmonthsafterthepassingofhisfirstwife,Mathilde,SchoenbergmarriedGertrud
Kolisch,sisterofRudolfKolisch,oneofSchoenberg’spupils,andthefirstviolinistoftheKolisch
quartet.TheKolischquartetbecametheleadingquartetinperformanceofSchoenberg’s
chamberworks,andeventuallyrecordedallfourofhisstringquartetsaswell.37
AstheNazistookcontrolofthegovernmentinBerlin,SchoenbergreclaimedhisJewish
faithandhisfamilymovedtoBoston,whereheheldaoneyearteachingpositionattheMalkin
Conservatory.Hishealthdictatedthathewouldbemorecomfortablelivinginawarmer
climate,andhemovedwithhisfamilytoLosAngelesin1934,wherehegavelecturesat
34Ibid.35Ibid.36Ibid.37FredSteiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordingsoftheSchoenbergStringQuartet,”JournaloftheArnoldSchoenbergInstitute2(1978):124.
23
UniversityofSouthernCalifornia,andwasaprofessoratUniversityofCaliforniaatLos
Angeles.38HealthproblemslimitedSchoenberg’sworkandtravelinthe1940s,buthelivedto
seetheworldtakeinterestinhiscompositions,andhadthetimetopublishaseriesofhis
essaysandarticlesinhiscompilationofwritings,StyleandIdea.SchoenbergdiedonJuly15,
1951,inLosAngeles.
Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7wasoneofhisearlyworks,writtenbeforehe
completelymovedtoatonalcompositionandserialism.Unlikehislaterworks,these
compositionsarecenteredontonality(althoughtheydostrayfromtonalconventions),and
motivespermeatethecompositions.AscomposerandconductorPierreBoulezwrote,
Hisearliestworksareakindofintroductionthatincludesprophetictypesorpatternsinwhichhisidealandhisdemandsgraduallytakeshapeashecreatesfromthegenerallyacceptedlanguagealanguagethatisnotonlypersonalbuthighlyindividual,floodinghispolyphonywithaneverincreasingnumberofmotivesandgivingpreferencetomelodicratherthanthecoordinatingharmonicintervals.ThishadbeendonebeforebyBeethovenand,moreparticularly,byWagner,inwhosemusictherelationshipbetweenharmonyandcounterpointissostrainedthatitalmostreachesbreakingpoint.39
Schoenbergwasinspiredbypoetry,andmanyofhisearlyworkshaveprogrammatic
elements,suchasVerklärteNacht(1899),animmensesinglemovementcompositionbasedon
apoemofredemptionandforgivenessbyRichardDehmel.40Otherlarge-scalesinglemovement
piecesinthistime-periodincludehisStringQuartetNo.1,Op.7onwhichthispaperisfocused,
andtheKammersymphonie(1906),whichisalsoasingle-movementwork,butmuchmore
conciseinlengththanthequartet.
38O.W.Neighbour,"Schoenberg,Arnold".39PierreBoulez,andJeanJacquesNattiez,Orientations(Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1986),327.40ForfurtherreadingonVerklarteNachtandSchoenberg’srelationstopoetRichardDehmel,see:RichardSwift,"1/XII/99:TonalRelationsinSchoenberg's"VerklärteNacht""19th-CenturyMusic1,no.1(1977):3-14.
24
Schoenbergmadeseveralattemptsatafirststringquartetbeforefinallypublishinghis
StringQuartetNo.1,Op.7inDMinorin1904.Lastingapproximately45minutesin
performance,itthelongestinstrumentalcompositionthathewrote.41Schoenbergprided
himselfonthefactthat,unlikemanyofhisotherearlyworks,thisquartetwasnotintendedto
beprogrammatic,althoughearlysketchesshowthathedidstarthisdraftsofthequartetwitha
programmaticimpulse,outliningbasicemotionstocoincidewitheachmovement.42
Schoenberg,inspiredbyBeethoven’sexpansiveThirdSymphony,wrotethatBeethoven’s
symphonyguidedhimon“howtoavoidmonotonyandemptiness,howtocreatevarietyoutof
unity,howtocreatenewformsoutofbasicmaterial,howmuchcanbeachievedbyslight
modificationsifnotbydevelopingvariationoutofoftenratherinsignificantlittleformulations.
OfthismasterpieceIlearnedalsoofthecreationofharmoniccontrastsandtheir
application.”43
Schoenberg’sbiographyhasimplicationsforhisStringQuartetOp.7.Thefactthathe
wasprimarilyself-taughtcouldbewhatledhimtoexperimentasmuchashedidwithstring
sonorities.Havingstudiedviolinandcellohimselfandplayingchambermusicfromayoungage,
hewasfamiliarwiththetechnicalaspectsofstringplaying.Hehimselfwasabletotrythe
extendedtechniqueshewantedtoapply,inordertodeterminewhatwaspossible,andhe
couldconsulttheprofessionalstringplayersheknewforadvice.Forexample,Schoenberg
41MarkBenson,"Schoenberg'sPrivateProgramfortheStringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7,"TheJournalofMusicology11,no.3(1993):376.42Ibid.,378-380.43Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins,Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2016),359.
25
alwaysgavethemusicianstimetoputonandtakeoffmutesinthestringquartet,a
considerationthatothercomposersdidnotalwaysrender.44Hisdesiretoemancipate
dissonanceandexperimentwithtonality45couldcorrelatewiththeideaofcreatingnewsounds
throughextendedstringtechniquesinchambermusic.
3.2ABriefFormalAnalysisofSchoenberg’sStringQuartetNo.1inDMinor,Op.7
InordertounderstandthefunctionofextendedstringtechniquesinSchoenberg’sOp.7
stringquartet,anexplanationoftheuniqueformofthisquartetisnecessary.Theformfollows
thatofpreviouslargescaleworksofthe19thcentury,whereindividualmovementswere
distinctbutflowedtogetherwithoutpause.Schoenbergwrotethathewasinfluencedby
LudwigvanBeethoven’sStringQuartetinC#MinorOpus131,46whichalsohadnobreaks
betweenmovements,aswellasthelargescalesymphoniesofAntonBrucknerandGustav
Mahler.47
Withthisquartet,Schoenbergnotonlycreatedanuninterruptedworkthatstillhad
distinctmovements,butheadditionallyincorporatedalarge-scaleoverarchingsonataform
intothequartetthatstretchesacrossthesmallercontinuousmovements.FranzLisztinspired
thisideawithhisPianoSonatainB-minorS.178(1854),anotherworkinwhichacentralsonata
formissuperimposedovertheentirepiece,andmovementsarelessdistinguishable.
44Forexample,LeošJanáčekonlygaveaquarterrestoftimetoremoveamutebeforetheplayerhadtoresumeplayinginhisStringQuartetNo.1,anearlyimpossibletasktoexecute.45StephenHinton,"TheEmancipationofDissonance:Schoenberg’sTwoPracticesofComposition,"Music&Letters91,no.4(2010):568.46ThisalsohappenstobetheonlyquartetinwhichBeethovenusedsulponticello.47Steiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordings”,132.
26
Throughoutthispaper,Iwillrefertotheoverarchingformthatspansacrossthewholequartet
asthemacrolevelform,andtothemovementswithinthequartetasthemicrolevelform.
Schoenbergintroducedmotivesatthebeginningofthequartetthatappeared
throughoutthewholecomposition,andthroughtheprocessofdevelopingvariation,48these
motiveschangedtheirmood,harmony,character,andrhythmthroughoutthequartet.Froma
harmonicstandpoint,Schoenbergwouldoftentaketriadicprogressionsandaddchromatic
upperorlowerneighbortones,orjuxtaposeawholetonescaleontopofadiatonicscale,
resultinginadisintegrationofharmonies.Someofthislossoftonalbearingsisalsocausedby
whatSchoenbergreferredtoas“vagierendenAkkorden”,or“vagrantharmonies”,wherethe
musicisnotespeciallydissonant,buttheambiguityofharmoniescausestheworktolosetonal
definition.49Asaresultofthemanipulationofmotivesanddisintegrationofharmonies,Ifind
thatsomepassagesinthequartetsoundstrikinglytonalandlyrical,whileotherpassagesare
moredifficulttograspwithoutconsultingascore.ThequartetoutlinesthekeyofDminor,but
becausetheharmoniclanguagereachespointsofhighlyintensechromaticism,Ifinditisoften
easiertolatchontothebasicshapeofmotivesandthemesratherthanharmonicrelations
whenlisteningtothisquartet.
Withinthelarge-scalework,Schoenbergdividedhisquartetintofourmovements:a
sonataformfirstmovement,asecondmovementScherzo,aslowthirdmovement,anda
48Schoenbergdefinesdevelopingvariationas:"variationofthefeaturesofabasicunitproduc[ing]allthethematicformulationswhichprovideforfluency,contrasts,variety,logicandunity,ontheonehand,andcharacter,mood,expression,andeveryneededdifferentiation,ontheotherhand—thuselaboratingtheideaofthepiece"(ArnoldSchoenberg,StyleandIdea(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1985),397).49O.W.Neighbour."Schoenberg,Arnold."
27
Rondofinalefourthmovement.50Acrossthesecontinuousfourmovements,Schoenberg
intertwinedanoverarchingsonataformwithtwodevelopmentsandthreerecapitulationsthat
weaveacrossthesmallermovements.51Thefinalmovementculminatesinaclimacticpassage
ofliquidation,beforeintroducingacodawhichtiestogetherboththemicroformandthe
macroformwithasatisfyingDMajorending.
Thefollowingfigure(Figure7)isaformalmapofSchoenberg’squartet,basedonWalter
Frisch’sformaloverviewofthequartetinhisarticle,ThematicFormandtheGenesisof
Schoenberg’sD-MinorQuartet,Opus7.52
50Steiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordings,”133.51WalterFrisch,“ThematicFormandtheGenesisofSchoenberg'sD-minorQuartet,Opus7,”JournaloftheAmericanMusicologicalSociety41,no.2(1988):292.52Ibid.
28
Exp,Dev1,Recap1 Dev2,Recap2 Recap3 Coda
FirstMovement:(Allegro)Nichtzurasch
Dminor[i]
SecondMovement:(Scherzo)Kräftig
Gbmajor[III]
ThirdMovement:Mässig
Aminor(v)
FourthMovement:Mässig
Amajor(V)withDMajorCoda(I)
ExpositionDevelopment1[measuresA100–B4][measuresC12–C20]Recapitulation1TransitiontoScherzo
ScherzoTransition[E124–F20]TrioTransition(/Dev2)[G5–G20]ScherzorepriseLiquidation/Transitiontothirdmovement
ASulPonticelloaccompaniment[K25–K30]BSulPonticellointerruption[K75–K76]A’SulPonticellomodulatoryepisode[L23–L33]
ABA’CA’’Liquidation[N81–N90]Coda
Figure7:AbriefformaloverviewofSchoenberg’sOp.7StringQuartet:thetoprowgivesthemacrolevelformofthework,whilethefourcolumnsdividetheworkintofourseparatemovements(microlevelform).Sectionsmarkedwithboldprintcontainextendedstringtechniques.(Exp=Exposition,Dev=Development,Recap=Recapitulation).Measurenumbersaregivenastherehearsalletter,andthenthemeasurenumberaftersaidrehearsalletter.
Iplacedaboldlinebetweenthesecondandthirdmovement,asSchoenberghimself
separatedthemovementswithafermata,whichisthelongestpausethatexistsinthequartet.
Also,thethematicmaterialchangescompletelyatthatpoint.Imarkedtheinstancesinwhich
extendedstringtechniquesoccurinboldonthemap.
Inthenextchapter,Ilookattheboldfaceditemsindetail,showingthatinstancesof
extendedstringtechniquesrevealthatthetechniquesappearonlyindevelopments,
29
transitions,interruptions,andliquidationpassagesofthequartet,butnotinformallystable
areasofthequartet,suchastheexpositions,recapitulations,orstatementsofsmaller
movementthemes.IshowhowSchoenbergiseffectiveindistortinganddisintegrating
motives,thereforedisintegratingtonality,andbringinginnovativesonoritiesintothestring
quartetgenrethroughtheuseofextendedstringtechniques.Icomparehisapplicationof
extendedstringtechniquestothewaycomposersbeforehimusedthetechniques,andfinally,
inChapter5,I lookatthewayextendedstringtechniquesdevelopedinchambermusicafter
Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7waswritten.
30
CHAPTER4
PASSAGESOFEXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUESWITHIN
SCHOENBERG’SOPUS7QUARTET
InChapter3,Istatedthatextendedstringtechniquesoccurduringunstableand
transitionalformalsectionsofSchoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7.Thischaptertakesthatidea
furtherbyexaminingthesevenmostpronouncedinstancesofextendedstringtechniques
whichIhearinthecomposition.Iorganizedtheseexamplesbythemannerinwhich
Schoenbergusedtheextendedtechniques.First,Ishowanexamplewhereextendedstring
techniquesamplifyordrawattentiontoamotive(Section4.1).Next,Idescribehow
Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquestocreatecontrastandinterrupttheflowofthe
form(Section4.2).Finally,Iportrayhowheusedextendedstringtechniquesinan
unprecedentedway:toobscuremotivesinliquidationsections(Section4.3).Measurenumbers
aregivenastherehearsalletter,andthenthemeasurenumberaftersaidrehearsalletter,asis
doneintheBerlin:VerlagDreililienscore(mostrecentlyreprintedbyDoverPublications).53I
havetranscribedtherelatedmusicalexamplesintothispaper,butforamorethoroughviewing
andunderstandingofthesetechniqueswithinthecontextoftheentirecomposition,I
recommendreadingthischapterwiththefullquartetscore.
53Schoenberg,Arnold,StringQuartetNo.1Op.7.Mineola:DoverPublications,1997.
31
4.1 UsingTremolotoAmplifytheFirstSubordinateTheme
AsImentionedinChapter3,Schoenbergoftenpresentedamotivefromamyriadof
angles,andmanipulatedthemotivethroughthetechniqueofdevelopingvariation.Inthis
example,Schoenbergdevelopedamotiveandultimatelyusedtremolotointensifyandamplify
thede-familiarizationofthefirstsubordinatetheme.
Thefirstsubordinatetheme,amotivethuslabeledbySchoenberghimself,54isfirstseen
inmm.A61–A63.Initsmostbasicform,thethemeconsistsofsixclimbingnotes:threestep-
wisenotes,aleapofaperfectfourth,andthenthreemorestep-wisenotes.Theexamplebelow
(Figure8)showstheinitialoccurrenceofthefirstsubordinatetheme,portrayedinoctavesby
thefirstandsecondviolin.
Figure8:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A61–A63.
Theuseofsemitonesinthisfigureisfascinating,andevolvesthroughoutthe
54Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,359.
32
presentationofthemotive,markedineachfigurewithacaret(^).
Initsinitialform,thesecondviolinpart(betweenitsinnervoiceinm.A61anditsouter
voiceinm.A62)outlinesaCscalewithaflat6th.Thisisadiatonicline,withsemitonesbetween
thethirdandfourth,andfifthandsixthtones(shownmorecloselyinFigure8b).Meanwhile,
thecello’smaterialiscompletelychromatic,withsemitonesbetweeneachnote.This
concurrenceofsemitonessetsupatonalharmonieswithinthemotive,andforeshadowsthe
importanceofsemitonesasthemotiveprogresses.
Figure8b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A61–A62,reductiontoshowsemitones.
Tenmeasureslater,thissubordinatethemedevelopsintoamelodyincompoundmeter.
Schoenberglabeledthismelody“asecondsubordinatetheme,derivedfrom[thefirst
subordinatetheme]”.55Here,inFigure9,thesecondviolinplaysthesecondsubordinate
theme:
55Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,361.
33
Figure9:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,m.A71
Thesecondsubordinatethemedevelopsverynaturallyoutofthefirstsubordinate
theme;themaindifferenceisthatthemotiveisnowamelody,withrhythmicvariationanda
diatonicaccompanimentintheviolaandcello,insteadofchromaticharmoniesfromitsfirst
occurrenceinFigure8.Whilethefirstsubordinatethemeseemstoreadmorevertically,asa
seriesofblockchords,thesecondsubordinatetheme(Figure9),withitsrhythmicvariationand
accompanimentintheviola,hasthesensationofalyricalmelody.
Throughouttheexposition,bothversionsofthissubordinatethemeshowup,in
ascending,descending,orinvertedform.InthecaseofFigure10below,thesubordinatetheme
manifestsitselfinallthreedifferentwaysatthesametime.Thefirstviolinplaysthesecond
themefromthemacroform,56butusingtherhythmofthesecondsubordinatetheme.
Meanwhile,thesecondviolinandviolaplaythethemeindiminution,andthecelloplaysan
inversionofthesubordinatetheme.
56ThesecondthemethatIamreferringfirstappearedinm.A57,playedbythefirstviolin:
34
Figure10:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A83–A84.
Astheabovefiguresshow,thissubordinatethemecontinuallydevelopsfromitsinitial
presentationinmm.A61-A63(Figure8),tothelyricalrepresentationofthetheme(Figure9),
totheinvertedanddiminutiveversionsofthetheme(Figure10).Thismotiveamplifiesand
completelytakesoverintheculminatingtremolopassagethatfollows(Figure11).
35
Figure11(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A96-B14
36
Figure11(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A96-B14
AsshowninFigure11,thethemestartssoftlyintheinnervoicesinm.A96;itisthe
mostbasicformofthethemeinhalfnotetriplets,similartotheoriginalversionofthemotive
showninFigure8.Thistime,however,themotiveismoreresolute,continuingpastitstwo-bar
iterationintheviola,and,asthemotivebecomesevenmoreinsistent,theviolabeginsplaying
akernelofthemotiveindiminutionwithtremoloinm.A100.Intensitybuildswithrepetition
andcrescendoinallofthevoices,andfinally,inm.A103,alloftheinstrumentsplaythefirst
subordinatethemeinunisoninafortissimotremolo,completelyinterruptingeverythingelse
°
¢
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Vln. I
Vln. II
Vla.
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winding down to the next section
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p
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fp
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fp p
p
Vln. I
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Vc.
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∑
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b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
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b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Bb
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Bb
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Œ
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j
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j
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œn ™œ#
J
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37
thatwashappening.Fromthere,theinnervoicescontinuerepeatingthesubordinatetheme,
anditsinversion,addingintensityuntilSchoenbergtransitionedtoanewsectionandtempo,
VielLangsamer,inm.B14.
Duringthemeasureofamplification,thesemitonesareonthefirsttwonotesandthe
finaltwonotesofthemotive,makingthemotivecompletelysymmetricalintermsofits
intervals.Theamplification,throughtheuseoftremolo,drawsattentiontothesemitone
alterationsofthismotive,whichtheinnervoicescontinuetoplayinfortissimountilm.B4.By
creatingsymmetryinthemotive,addingfortissimo,andinstructingtheuseoftremoloinall
fourinstruments,Schoenbergbroughtcompleteattentiontothede-familiarizationofthis
motivebeforewindingdowntothenextsection.Frischlabeledthefirstdevelopmentas
beginninginm.B1,57directlyafterthemeasureoftremoloamplification,makingitclearthat
Schoenbergusedthetremolointransitioningfromtheendoftheexpositiontothis
development.
4.2 ExtendedStringEffectsinTransitionalPassagesduringtheMiddleMovements
AmajorityoftheextendedstringtechniquesinthisworkappearinSchoenberg’smiddle
movements,whicharethescherzoandtheslowthirdmovement.Thefollowingexamplesshow
howSchoenberginterruptedtheflowofthequartetinordertodrawattentiontoharmonics,
collegno,consordino,andsulponticello,andhowhecontinuedtousethesetechniques
specificallyintransitionalpassagesduringthequartet.
57WalterFrisch,“ThematicFormandtheGenesisofSchoenberg'sD-minorQuartet,Opus7”,JournaloftheAmericanMusicologicalSociety41,no.2(1988):289–314.
38
4.2.1 HarmonicsandconsordinotoCreateContrastandChromaticismintheSecond
MovementTransition:mmE128–F10
TheexamplebelowoccursintheScherzosecondmovement,wherethethemeisstated
firmlyinfortissimowithaccentsinm.E128,andthenechoedinpianissimowithharmonicsin
m. E130,andfinishedwithafortissimocadence(mm.E133–E134).Theharmonicsare
bookendedwithfermatasoneachside,drawingevenmoreattentiontothedifferenceinsound
(Figure12).
Figure12(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–F10
39
Figure12:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–F10
LookingmorecloselyatthechordsoutlinedinthefermatasbetweenE128andE134,it
becomesclearthattheharmonicsaremovingchromaticallydowntothecadenceinthetonic,
Gbmajor,asshowninFigure12b.
Figure12b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–E134,harmonicreduction
AftertheGbMajorcadenceinm.E128,thefirstfermatasustainsanAbminorchord
(m.E130),thefermatawithharmonicssustainsaGmajorchord(m.E132),andthefollowing
cadencegoesbacktothetonic(m.E134).BeinginthekeyofGbmajor,theharmonicsstand
outasbeingchromaticupperneighborstothetonic.Foramoment,Schoenbergseemstohave
40
suspendedthetonality,leavingamysteriouschordhoveringintheairwithharmonics,before
movingbacktothetonic.TheGmajorchordtransitionschromaticallyfromthepredominant
Abchord,disintegratingtheharmonywithchromaticismandharmonics,andthenmovesback
tothehomekeyofGbmajor.Schoenbergusedharmonicstotransitiontothetonickey,a
small-scalevariationofhisuseofextendedstringtechniquestotransitionbetweenformal
sectionsofthequartet.
Thesecondhalfofthisexamplecontinuesthechromaticdescentthatbeganinm.E130.
Figure12cshowshowthechromaticismcontinuesuntilm.F9.
Figure12c:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,harmonicreductionofmm.F1–F9
ThekeychangesfromGbmajortotherelativeenharmonicminor(F#minor),andthen
downtoFminor.ThebasslinealsohasastepwisechromaticdescentfromD#downtoC
natural.Schoenbergcontinuedthechromaticlinethroughtheharmonicsandtothecon
sordinosection,usingthestringeffectstode-familiarizethekeyareasuntilthetonalityisno
longerclear.Themutedsectioncontinuesfor30measures,58actingasadisjunctinterruption
betweentheScherzosectionandthetriosection,whichbeginsinm.F30.
58Iprovidedafewmeasuresoftheconsordinomaterialtoshowtheeffect.Thecompleteviewingofthissectionisavailableinpgs.32-33oftheDoverscore.
41
Thesetwospecialeffectsoccurwithinmerely10measuresofeachother,and,again,
duringatransitionalsection.Theharmonicsdelaythereturntotonality,andtheconsordino
materialiswanderingandtransitory,withoutmuchhintofformalcoherenceorkey.Thecellois
absentwhilemostofthesespecialeffectsoccur,oritisinitsupperregister,implyingalossof
foundationduringthispassage.
4.2.2 Collegno,Harmonics,andsulponticello:MeasuresG5-G27
Thenextexample,apassagethatoccursbetweentheTrioandRepriseintheScherzo
movement,combinestheuseofcollegnoandharmonicstocreateanepisodethatstandsout
fromitssurroundingmaterial(Figure13).
42
Figure13(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.G–G37
43
Figure13(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.G–G34
44
ThepassagehereismarkedFlüchtig,or“fleeting”,andbeginswithamelodyplayedin
harmonicsbythesecondviolin,whiletheviolaplayscollegnointerjections,andthefirstviolin
flitsaroundthemelody(m.G5–G9).Rolesarereversedinm.G13–G14,withthefirstviolin
playingharmonicsandthecellistplayingcollegno.Thewholesectionismarkedpianissimo,
givingamysteriousauratotheFlüchtigpassage.
AlthoughthispassageisclearlyinthekeyofEmajor,thecelloisalwaysplayingawhole-
toneversionofthescherzomotive,exceptinm.G13–G14whenitplaysthechromaticcol
legnointerjection,andtheviolatakesoverthewhole-tonematerial.Eachstringtechniquehas
arole,astheharmonicsoutlineEMajor,thecollegnointerjectionaddschromaticism,andthe
ordinariomaterialoutlinesthewholetonescale.Atm.E18thecelloplaysasulponticelloE
naturalthattriggersatransitiontothenextsection,whereafragmentofthewhole-tone
motivecompletelytakesoverinallvoices.Thereisagreatdealofdissonanceinthewhole-tone
takeover.Aseachvoiceplaysitsownwholetonescale,thestackedpitchesproduceaseriesof
augmentedchordsthatdisintegratethetonalityfortheremainderofthepassage.
Regardingthesoundoftheextendedstringtechniques,theharmonicsarearemarkable
changetothesoundthatwehaveheardsofarinthesecondmovement,attainingthe
“mysterioussoftness”and“fairy-likenature”aboutwhichBerliozspokeinhistreatiseon
instrumentation.59Thislighteningintimbreimpliesadeparturefromtherealworld,withthe
simpleandsoftmelodysuggestingperhapsatemporaryescapeintoachildlikedreamworld.
Thecollegnoaddsbitetothesweetnatureoftheharmonics,andthepizzicatoalsoaddsa
59AscitedinChapter2,HectorBerliozandMaryCowdenClarke.ATreatiseonModernInstrumentationandOrchestration,21.
45
sharptimbretotheoverallsoundscape.Theeffectsseemtobeplayfulinnature,andbecause
Schoenbergstackedsomanytechniquesontopofeachotherintoonepassage,Ibelievethat
hemustbeexperimentingwithnewsoundswithinthestringquartetgenre,justasFarinahad
experimentedwiththestringinstrument’scapabilitiesinCapricioStravagante.Iwillshowin
Chapter5thatAlbanBergandBélaBartókalsousedseveraldifferentextendedstring
techniqueswithinonepassage,perhapsdrawingattentionawayfrommotivesandthematic
developmentinordertofocusonthesoundsofthesetechniques.
Whentheordinariosoundreturns,thelistenerisbroughtbackintotherealworld.After
asmallcrescendowithsulponticellotremolointhecelloinmeasureG18,themainmotiveof
thesecondmovementtakesoveranddisintegratesbeforeleadingtotherepriseofthescherzo.
ItistellingthatSchoenbergusedtheseeffectsinthetransitionalsectionbeforethereprise.He
seemstostrayasfarawayashecaninsoundbeforede-familiarizingthemotivesinthe
disintegrationinmm.G28–G34.
46
4.2.3 SulPonticellointerruptionsinthethirdmovement:measuresK72–K77andmeasuresL
24–L33
Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesmostfrequentlyinhisthirdmovement.
Notonlyishalfofthemovementconsordino,butpassagesofsulponticelloarecompletely
separatefromtherestofthemovement,andbookendedwithsilenceonbothends.The
passagesofsulponticellodonotdirectlyrelatetowhatcamebeforethem,orafter,andinstead
actaseerieinterruptionstothetrajectoryofthethirdmovement.
Inthefirstexample,measuresK72-77(Figure14),abriefinterludeinsulponticello
interruptsthemelodioustonalwritingfromtheprecedingpassage(Figure14).
47
Figure14:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.K73–K77
&&B?
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48
Theintensitybuildsbeforethesulponticellointerruption,butafermatacausesthe
melodytocometoahalt,asifthemusicisdisturbedmid-sentence.Themelodyoftheshort
interruptionisintheviola,anditechoestheBthemeofthemovement.However,inthe
originalpresentationofthistheme,thekeywassolidlyEmajor.Thistime,themelodyisine
minor,asemitonelowerthanitwaspreviously,withchromaticintervalsshowingupinevery
voiceexceptfortheviolamelody.Thepianissimo,thechromaticism,andtheunisonsul
ponticellogivethismaterialacompletelydifferentqualityfromthataroundit.Thefourvoices
createahomophonictextureinthestyleofachorale.Thisisaverystrangechorale,however,
becauseallfourinstrumentsplayonthebridge,withdissonance,asifthisismerelythe
memoryofachorale,withthesulponticellotaintingwhatwasonceabeautifulmelody.This
juxtapositioncreatesaprominentcontrastbetweenthecoldsoundofthesulponticello,and
thewarmandrichsoundofthestringsbeforethesulponticellooccurs.Thecontrastrecalls
thedifferencesbetweentherestrainedsoundofsulponticellocomparedtothetypicalsinging
stringsound.Afterthesulponticellointerruption,anotherfermataclosesthesection,andthe
violabeginsplayingthelyricalmelodyagain,asifthesulponticelloepisodehadnever
happened.
4.2.4 ModulatoryEpisode:Mm.L22–L38
Schoenbergreferredtothesulponticellotransitionofthismovement(Figure15),asthe
49
modulatoryepisode,anditbridgestothemacro-levelrecapitulation.60Thisepisodeislonger
andmorecomplexthanthesulponticellointerruptionfromthepreviousexample(Figure14),
andthistimeitisalsocombinedwithtremolo.Whereasthefirstinstanceofsulponticello
completelyinterruptedthemelody,inthiscasethereisaclearwindingdownandsolidcadence
inEmajorbeforethesulponticellomodulatoryepisodeoccurs.
Figure15(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.L22–L38
60Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,361.
50
Figure15(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.L22–L38
Inm.L23,alltheinstrumentsrestexceptfortheviola,whichhangsontoitsG#,the
thirdoftheEMajorchord.ThispitchchangesfunctiontobecomeAbinthenextmeasure,the
thirdofanFminorchord,thenewkeyforthebeginningofthemodulatoryepisode.Thefirst
violinandviolaplayoneofthemainmotivesfromthethirdmovementinoctaves,whilethe
celloimitatesthemelodyonebarlater.Meanwhile,thesecondviolinaddstremolotrillstothe
51
texture.Thissection,althoughbeginninginpianissimo,buildsupintensityandhasasudden
outbursttoforte,beforewindingbackdowntopianissimoinm.L31,andfinallypianississimo
inm.L33.
Afterthispassage,Schoenberginstructedtheplayerstoremovethemutes,andthe
thirdmovementisessentiallyover,overshadowedbythereturnofthemacroform
recapitulation,showingthatthisepisodewasaneffectivetransitionbetweenformalsections.
Schoenbergusedapassageofextendedstringtechniquestodisorientthelistener;after
oneofthemosttonalpassagesofthequartet,herattledthemovementwiththesulponticello
episodeinordertotransitiontothemoredissonantrecapitulation,showingthattheblisshe
createdinthethirdmovementwasonlytemporary.Schoenberg’suseofextendedstring
techniquesinthiscasenotonlyaddedahauntingcolorandcharactertothethirdmovement,
butalsocreatedatransitionbetweentheformalsections,movingfromthethirdmovementto
themacrolevelrecapitulation.
ThisuseofsulponticellorecallsGrieg’suseofthetechniqueinhisStringQuartetNo.1
(Figure4).Inbothcases,thereisawindingdownofthemusicalmaterial,asilencebeforethe
sulponticellopassage,andatransitionafterwards(InGrieg’squartet,tothePrestofinaleofthe
movement,andinSchoenberg’squartettothemacro-levelRecapitulation).
4.3MuddlingtheMotives:TremoloTransitiontoSultastoLiquidation
Inthefinaltwoexamples,Schoenbergusedtremoloandextremitiesinbowingcontact
points(sultastoinexample4.3.1,andsulponticelloinexample4.3.2),toliquidateoneofthe
52
recurringmotivesinthequartet.
4.3.1FirstLiquidation:Mm.C10–C30
Throughoutthequartet,thereisamotivethatessentiallytriggersadisintegrationof
tonality,andoftenleadstoliquidationpassagesaswell.ScholarSeverineNeffcalledthemotive
itselfaliquidation,61butIwillrefertothemotiveas“Motivex”.Highlychromatic,and
descendingwithaseriesofleaps,thismotiveiseasilyrecognizablewhenitfirstappearsinthe
openingofthequartet(Figure16).
Figure16:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.8-10,motiveX
MotiveXisbasedonaseriesofintervallicsequences.Thefirstviolincombinesa
chromaticallydescendingline(markedinsquaresbelowinFigure16b)withathree-note
intervalsetthatlowersaminorthird,andthenlowersonesemitone(thepitchesarecircledin
61SeverineNeff,“Aspectsof"Grundgestalt"inSchoenberg’sFirstStringQuartet,op.7”.TheoryandPractice9no.1/2(1988):8.
53
Figure16b).Theviolahasasimilarpattern,raisingaminorthird,andthenloweringasemitone.
Thesecondviolinhasaninversionofthatintervallicstructure,loweringamajorsixth,andthen
risingonesemitone.Thecellohasarisingline,alternatingbetweenperfectfourthsandmajor
thirds,intervalsthatarenotsharedbytheothervoices.Alltheselinescreateharmonyclashes
whenplayedtogether,andallowforquickdisintegrationoftonality.
Figure16b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.8-10,intervallicsequenceswithinmotiveX
Ifindthismotive,withitsoff-kilterrhythmandchromaticmakeup,tobeadrivingforce
ofdisintegrationinthequartet,and,asIwillshow,itendsupdrivingthequartetintoboth
liquidationsectionsinthepiece.
Leadingintothefirstliquidationsection,motivexappearsinmeasureC9,intheviola
andcellopart(Figure17):
54
Figure17:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C9–C11,motivexintheviolaandcello
Onceagain,motivexshowsadescendingchromaticline.Therhythmisnowaugmented
andmoreemphaticthanitwasinitsoriginalappearanceinFigure16.Thistimethemotiveis
amplifiedwithtwovoicesinoctavesinsteadofjustonevoice.Whilethefirstappearanceofthe
motivewasslurredandrapid,thistimeeachnoteisdeliberate,withanaccentedpunch.
Thefollowingexampleshowsthedevelopmentofmotivexfrommm.C10–C30.The
musicbuildstoafortissimooutburst,immediatelysuppressesintoasultastoandtremolo
transition,andthenmovesintothedissonantliquidation.Fortheentireduration,themusicis
focusedexclusivelyonthisonemotive(Figure18).
55
Figure18(pg.1of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30
°
¢
°
¢
°
¢
Violin 1
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
C10
f
ff
motive x (augmented rhythm)
f
ff
motive x (augmented rhythm)
motive x (augmented rhythm)
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
motive x (augmented rhythm)
ff dim... p
am Griffbrett
Sul tasto and tremolo section
pp ppp
motive x (twice as fast)
C13
ff dim...
p
am Griffbrett
pp ppp
dim... p
am Griffbrett
pp ppp
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
motive x (even faster- original form)
ordinario (end sul tasto)
rit.
ein wenig langsamer (a little slower)
p
liquidation of motive x
C18
ordinario (end sul tasto) p
ordinario (end sul tasto) p
p
&
b
3
&
b
3
&
b
> >
>
&
?
b
>
>
> > B
>
>
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b
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b
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b B
Bb
∑ ∑ ∑
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b
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Bb
Bb
∑ ∑
B
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≈ œn œ ≈ œ œ ≈
œ œ
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J œ#œ#œ#
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æææ
wn
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j
‰ Œ ‰
œœnœb œn
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wb
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ææ
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ææ
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˙ œ œb
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œœn œ œb
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j ‰
œbœn
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j
‰ Ó
œ#œn
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56
Figure18(pg.2of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30
°
¢
°
¢
°
¢
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
pp
C21
pp
mp
mp
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
mp
C23
mf
mf
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
cresc.
mf cresc.
C25
mf cresc.
mf
mf cresc.
f
mf cresc.
f
&
b
&
b
Bb
Bb
&
b
&
b
Bb
&
Bb
? B
&
b
&
b
&
b B
Bb
?
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J
‰ Œ
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‰ Œ
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‰
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J
‰ œnœb
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œn œœ
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œ#œ
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œ œ œb
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œ œ œb
œb
œn œœn
œ#
œb
œ œb
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œ œœn
œ#
œb œœn
œn
œb œœn
œn
œb œ
R ≈
œnœn
œ#
œb œœn
œn
œb œœn
œn
œn œ œb
œbœn
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œb œœn
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R
≈
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‰
œbœn
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œbœn
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œn œœn
œn
œ œœn
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œ œ œb
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‰
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œb œœn
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2
57
Figure18(pg.3of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30
Intheabovefigure,thefirstviolinclimbsandreachesapeakatthehighB6abovethe
staff(m.C13),andsustainsthepitchwhiletheotherthreevoicesfuriouslyplaymotivex,the
°
¢
°
¢
°
¢
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
f
pp cresc.
C27
f
pp cresc.
pp cresc.
pp cresc.
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
bescleunigend (accel.)
Sehr rasch.
(quick)
ff
end of liquidation
C29
ff
ff
ff
Vln. 1
Vln. II
Vla.
Vc.
sf ff ff
End of section (Schoenberg
indicates a double line in his
score)
C31
sf ff ff
sf ff
sf ff
&
b
&
b
Bb
&
B
?
b
B ?
&
b
&
b
Bb
?
b
&
b
&
b
Bb
&
B
?
b
B ?
œnœ
œb
œ# œœ
œn
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‰
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œ# œœn
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œœb
œ
œn œœb
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œœn
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œœb
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œb
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œn
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‰
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œ
œn œnœb
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‰œ
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‰
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‰
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‰
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j
‰
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Ϫ
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œ ™œb
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J
‰ Œ Ó
œ
œ
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b
J
‰ Œ
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J≈
œ
R
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‰ Œ Ó
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J
‰ Œ Ó
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b
j
‰ Œ
œ
j
≈œ
r
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j
‰ Œ Ó
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œ
J
‰ Œ
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j≈
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r
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J
‰ Œ Ó
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b
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‰ Œ Ó
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‰ Œ
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r
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‰ Œ Ó
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J
‰ Œ
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3
58
secondviolinandviolainaugmentationwithfortissimodynamicandtremolobowing,andthe
celloinitsoriginalrhythm.Arapiddecrescendofrommm.C13-16bringsthedynamicfrom
fortissimotopianississimo,andallthreevoicesbeginplayingtremoloandsultastoinm.C15.
Atthispoint,allflowofthequartetseemstocompletelyhaltinapassagethatistrueto
Schoenberg’sdefinitionofliquidation.Allothermotivesandmelodiesdisappear,andmotivex
isrepeatedinsistentlyinpianississimo,sultasto,andtremolo,creatinganetherealandother-
worldlyaffect,asifthesoundeffectsofsultastoandtremolotriggeredamoveintoatotally
differentrealm.Theviolinsplaymotivexinthirdsfromeachother,asdotheviolaandcello,
andonesetofinstrumentsrisewiththemotiveastheothersetofinstrumentsdescend.The
compoundmelodyisoutliningbothachromaticscaleandawholetonescaleatthesametime.
InFigure18b,thewholetonescaleiscircled,whiletheremainingnotesaredescendingand
thenascendingchromatically.
Figure18b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C20–C21,wholetoneandchromaticscalesinmotivex.
Thisdisintegrationoftheoriginalformofmotivexisasmallscaleliquidation,whileona
largescale,theformalstructureliquidationtakesplace.Ifindthatthedissonanceofthevoices
movingagainsteachother,thelackofdownbeat,andthelackofcadences,makesthisan
extremelydisorientingpassagetohear,aswellastoplay.Frommm.C20-C30,thereisno
senseofrhythmandverylittleindicationofphrasing.Thecello,thefoundationofthestring
59
quartet,isabsentfromthispassagefortheentiredurationofthesultasto,justasitwasin
example4.2.1,anditplaysinthehigherpartofitsregisterduringmostoftheconsequent
passage,implyingthatanysenseofgroundingorfoundationisgonewhilethestringeffects
occur.AnaccelerandoandcrescendostartingatC28bringthequartetbacktolife,andsetthe
stagefortherecapitulationofthesecondthemegroup.
Thesultastotechniquemufflesthesound,causingmotivextoloseevenmoreofits
definitionduringtheliquidation.Thispassageoccursinthefirstmovementofthequartet,and
inthenextexample,thefinalliquidationpassagebeforethecoda,Schoenbergusesmany
similarfeaturesashedoeshere,perhapschannelingamemoryofthismomentbefore
concludingthework.
4.3.1 UnleashingtheFury:SulponticellointheFinalLiquidation
Thefinalliquidation(Figure19),closesoffoneofthemostformallyclearsectionofthe
quartet,therondofourthmovement,andleadstothecoda,abeautifulclosingsectionthatties
thewholequartettogetherwithaclosingsectioninthekeyofDMajor.
60
Figure19:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.N80–O
61
MusicologistMarkBensonobservedinhisarticle,“Schoenberg’sPrivateProgramforthe
StringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7”,thatthefourthmovementofthequartetissecurelyinA
major,andthecodaisinDmajor.Itwouldbeaverysimplemodulationtotransitiontothe
coda,butinstead,Schoenberginterruptedthefinalcadenceoftherondowithanexplosive
liquidationpassage.Bensonwrote,“Thedisruptionsinharmony,tempo,tonecolor(amSteg),
playingtechnique(tremolo)andrhythmicfigurationallbutobliterateanyrelationshipbetween
thetwosections.”62
ThequoteaboveistheonlywrittenreferencetoSchoenberg’suseofextendedstring
techniquesthatIcouldfind,anditdescribeshowextendedstringtechniquesenhancethis
liquidationpassage.
AsseeninFigure20,thereisanAmajorchordatthebeginningofm.N79,whichmoves
onthethirdbeattoafortissimoCMajorchord,aI-IIImovethatmirrorsSchoenberg’smove
fromdminorinthefirstmovementtoGbmajorinthesecondmovement.Fromthere,thenext
chordisaC#minorchordthatcatapultsusintotheatonalrealmoftheliquidation,which
beginswithaGminorchordinthemiddlevoicescombinedwiththeexpectednoteAinthe
outervoices.ThetemporeducestoViellangsamer,andahair–raisingandchromaticsul
ponticellopassagefollows.Asthecrescendoincreasestofortississimo,thesulponticelloceases,
andallfourvoicesplaywithfurioustremolo(mm.N84–N86).
Inthisinstance,theinnerpartofMotivexisnolongeroutliningawholetonescale,but
62MarkBenson,"Schoenberg'sPrivateProgramfortheStringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7,”394.
62
isinsteadoutliningthirds,andthepassageendswithafirstviolinsolo:astringofthirdsthat
descendsbacktothehomekeyofD.
ThispassageliquidatesthechromaticMotivex,justasthepreviousliquidationpassage
did(example4.3.1),butthistimethemotiveisplayedsulponticelloinsteadofsultasto.While
example4.3.1movesintoapassageofdissonantwanderingthroughthewholetonescale,this
timethemusicrisesandfallsinthirds,andsettlesintotheD-Majorcoda,reconcilingany
tensionthatwasleftoverfromthefirstliquidationinthequartet.Schoenbergwenttoboth
extremitiesofbowinginhisliquidationpassages,fromthemutedsoftsoundsofthe
fingerboardtotheharshsoundsofthebridge,beforemakingthefinaldescentandresolution
intothecoda.
Beethovenwroteahushedsulponticelloepisodebeforemovingtothetriumphant
endingofhisOp.131StringQuartet,andGriegalsowroteapeacefulanddreamlikesul
ponticellopassageinhisStringQuartetNo.1beforefinishingthemovementwithfullvigor.Ina
verysimilarvein,Schoenbergeffectivelybuiltuptheultimatetensioninhissulponticelloand
tremololiquidationpassage,andthenreleasedthetensionwithaserenecodathatconcluded
thequartet.
PerhapsthefactthatSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesinsuchavarietyof
waysisevidenceofhiscompositionalgenius.SometimesSchoenbergseemedtouseextended
stringtechniquestodrawattentiontothemotivesorthemes,suchasusingtremolotoamplify
themotive,orusingtremoloandsulponticellointhemodulatoryepisode.Inotherexamples,
suchasintheliquidationpassages,heseemedtousetheextendedstringtechniquesto
63
obscuretheclarityofthemotives.
Theoneaspectthatallthesepassagesofextendedstringtechniquesincludeisthe
motionofajourney,ratherthanasturdyarrival.Schoenbergaddedthetechniquesinsections
whichweretransitioning,suchastheconsordinopassagebeforetheScherzo’strio,orinthe
liquidationbeforethecoda.Incontrast,whengivingtheinitialpresentationofathemeor
motiveinathematicsectionthatisnotatransition,Schoenbergusedthetypicalhumansound
ofthestringinstruments.ThejourneyofwhichIspeakcanhavedifferentpurposes;the
harmonicsinthesecondmovementimplyadeparturefromthesurroundingheavinessofthe
movement,asdoesthesulponticellointerruptioninthethirdmovement,whereasthetremolo
amplificationinthefirstmovementgivesadrivingforcetowardsthenewthematicsection.
Theextendedstringtechniquesadditionallyimplyajourneyintonality,asthemotives
andharmonicprogressionssurroundingtheextendedstringtechniquesseemtode-familiarize
thetonalcenter,suchaswhentheharmonicsde-familiarizedthekeyinexample4.2.1,orwhen
theliquidationsectionsdisintegratedmotivex(examples4.3.1and4.3.2).Whileonalarge
scaletheextendedstringtechniquescatapultafragmentationoftheformalstructure,ona
smallscalethepassagesofextendedstringtechniquesalsoshowadissolutioninmusical
language.ThenumberofwaysinwhichSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesinthis
quartetandthedepthinwhichheusedthemisunprecedentedinchambermusicupuntilthis
point.
Thenextchapterlooksattheuseofextendedstringtechniquesbyothercomposersin
the20thcentury,afterSchoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7waspublishedandperformed,
64
showingthatSchoenberg’streatmentofextendedstringtechniqueshadaneffectonhispupil,
AlbanBerg,and,consequently,onBélaBartók.
65
CHAPTER5
DRAWINGALINEAGEFROMSCHOENBERGTOBARTÓK:EXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUESIN
CHAMBERMUSICAFTER1905
FromexaminingtheseveralpassagesofextendedstringtechniquesinSchoenberg’sfirst
quartet,onecanseethatSchoenbergbreaksgroundinthechambermusicgenrewithregardto
thenumberofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonework,aswellasthevarietyofstring
techniqueswithinonework.Inthischapter,IdiscussthedirectlinethatIseefrom
Schoenberg’searlystringquartetstoAlbanBerg’sstringquartets,toBélaBartók’sstring
quartets.
AlbanBerg,anAustrianComposerwhowasoneofSchoenberg’spremierpupils,studied
closelywithSchoenbergfrom1904-1911,63sohewasastudentatthetimethatSchoenberg’s
StringQuartetOp.7waswritten,published,andperformed.Berg’sStringQuartetOp.3,
composedin1910,wasoneofthefinalworksthathewrotewhilestudyingwithSchoenberg.It
isnotsurprising,consideringthattheyworkedtogethersocloselyduringthistime,thatBerg
continuedinSchoenberg’spathbyaddingextendedstringtechniquestohischambermusic.
Schoenberg’sOp.7quartet,althoughsometimesstrayingfromtonality,isstillatonal
composition.Ontheotherhand,Berg’sOp.3quartetisatonal,withanambiguousformal
63DouglasJarman,"Berg,Alban,"GroveMusicOnline,OxfordMusicOnline,OxfordUniversityPress,accessedMarch18,2017,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/02767.
66
structure.Adornodescribedthisquartetasthe“liquidationofthesonata”.64Becausethis
quartetdoesnothavethesameformaloutlineandtonalfoundationasSchoenberg’sOp.7
quartet,IfindthatBergusedextendedstringtechniquesdifferentlythanSchoenbergdid.
Specifically,Berg’sextendedstringtechniqueseitherdistinguishbetweenthemelodyand
accompaniment,orcreateanewsoundscapethatderivesfromvariousextendedstring
techniquesoccurringatthesametime.
InFigure20,apassagefromthefirstmovementofBerg’sOp.3quartet,theviolaand
cellohaveabitingstaccatoandsulponticelloaccompaniment,whiletheviolinshavealyrical
andsustainedsultastophrase.Whentheviolamovestosustainednotesinm.45,italso
changesfromsulponticellotosultasto.Similarly,whenthecellofinishestheaccompaniment
andtransitionstoamoreflowingphrase,Berginstructsthecellisttomovebacktoordinary
bowing.
Figure20:StringQuartetOp.3byAlbanBerg,Firstmovement,mm.41-47
64BenedictTaylor,"BergandModernity:Ambivalence,Synthesis,andRemakingofTraditionintheStringQuartetOp.3,"StudiaMusicologica50,no.1/2(2009):41.
67
Byusingadistinctioninbowingtechniquebetweentheinstruments,Bergwasableto
createastrikingamountofcontrastbetweentheinstruments,sothatitiseasytohearthe
differencebetweenthesultastomelodyandthesulponticelloaccompaniment.
Thenextpassage,alsofromthefirstmovementofBerg’sOp.3StringQuartet,hasmore
extendedstringtechniquesinonesectionthananypassagefromSchoenberg’sstringquartets.
Withinonlysevenmeasures,Bergfilledthepassagewithconsordino,sulponticello,harmonics,
andcollegno;fortheentiredurationofthispassage,eachinstrumenthasatleastonespecial
effecthappeningatalmostanygivenpoint(Figure21).
Figure21:StringQuartetOp.3byAlbanBerg,Firstmovement,mm.75-82
68
InFigure21,thesecondviolinismarkedführend,indicatingthatitistheprincipalline.
Otherthanbeingmuted,thesecondviolin’slineisfreeofextendedstringtechniquesuntilthe
firstviolintakesoverinm.81.Meanwhile,theviolaaccompanieswithcollegnotratto
(combiningthewoodandthebowhairwhendrawingthebowacrossthestring).Thefirstviolin
andcellohavesulponticellointerjectionsandaddharmonics(violin1)andpizzicato(cello)to
thesoundscape.AswithFigure20,Iseetheextendedstringtechniquesasameansto
accompany,asthesecondviolinstandsoutfrommm.75–80whiletheotherinstrumentsplay
effectsaroundtheline,andthenthefirstviolinplayswithanormalsoundinmm.81–82while
theotherinstrumentsaccompanywithharmonics.
Thatbeingsaid,inadditiontothepracticalpurposeofaccompanyingtheprincipalline,I
hearthisexampleasatrulynewtypeofsoundinthestringquartetliterature.Thewhole
passageisextremelyquiet;atitsloudest,itispiano,andatthesoftest,pppp.Theextended
stringtechniquesactasspecialeffectsandmakethepassagesoundother-worldly.The
suppresseddynamiccombinedwiththetechniquesdrawthelistenerintohearasoundscape
thatisnewtochambermusic.
AlbanBergwroteanotherstringquartet,LyrischeSuitein1925,almostfifteenyears
afterhefinishedstudyingwithSchoenberg.Thethirdmovementofthisquartetisriddledwith
extendedstringtechniquesinthefollowingways:theentiremovementisconsordino,thefirst
twelvemeasuresareallsulponticelloandpizzicato,mm.46-67arecompletelycollegnotratto,
andinterjectionsofsulponticello,sultasto,andharmonicsfrequentlyoccurthroughoutthe
69
movement.
BartokheardBerg’sLyrischeSuitebeforecomposinghisownStringQuartetNo.3,Sz.85
in1927,aworkthatcontainsthehighestconcentrationofextendedstringtechniquesinone
pieceofmusicuptothatdate,withpagesofonetechniqueaftertheother.AsTheodore
Adornowrote,
Anewcoloristicapproachtostringsonorityisdisplayed[inBartók’sthirdstringquartet],partlyinspiredbyBerg’sLyrischeSuite,whichBartókhadrecentlyheard.Thescorebristleswith‘specialeffects’–glissando,pizzicato,collegno,sultasto,ponticello,martellato,mutedpassages,theuseofexaggeratingvibrato,strumming,andtheircombinations–allofwhichgivethepieceitsstartlingpiquancy.65
Inthisquartet,Bartókusedconsordino,sulponticello,lefthandpizzicatowhilethebow
isstillplayinganote,66collegno,andusingsultastoinonevoicewhilesimultaneouslyusingsul
ponticelloinanothervoice.
Figure22showsapassageofacollegnoinBartók’sStringQuartetNo.3.Thisexample
ismuchmorepercussiveandlessmelodicthananypassagesofcollegnothatSchoenbergor
Bergwrote.Thedynamicisfortissimo,andtheeffectisprimal,aggressive,andrhythmic,far
awayfromthetypicalsingingsoundofthestringinstrument.
65TheodorAdorno,“BélaBartóksDrittesStreichquartett,”Anbruch,xi/9–10(1929):358–60.66ThisisatechniquethatSchoenbergincidentallyalsoaddedtohisthirdstringquartet,writtenthesameyear(1927).
70
Figure22:StringQuartetNo.3byBélaBartók,secondmovement,Rehearsal25
Bartók’sfourthquartet,writtenin1928,alsoincludessnappizzicato,atechniquein
whichthestringispluckedsohardthatitsnapsbackontothefingerboard(Figure23).
Figure23:StringQuartetNo.4byBélaBartók,fourthmovement,mm.55–62
71
Inthispassage,themusicisagaindrivenbyrhythmratherthanmelody.Thestrumming
ofthelowerstringscombinedwiththesnappizzicatointheviolinpartsmakesacompletely
newsoundforthestringquartet.
Onearticlewrittenin1920makesitapparentthatBartókwasawareofSchoenberg’s
chambermusicbythetimeBartókwaswritinghisthirdandfourthstringquartets.Bartókwrote
anarticleabouttheimportanceofbringingSchoenberg’smusictoHungary,andmentionedan
unsuccessfulattempttoputtogetheraconcertinHungarythatwouldincludeSchoenberg’s
secondstringquartet.67Tome,thisarticlecompletestheconnectionthatrunsfrom
SchoenbergtoBergtoBartók.Shoenbergusedanunprecedentednumberofstringtechniques
inhisOp.7stringquartet,afeatofwhichBartókmusthavebeenaware,consideringthathe
wantedtobringSchoenberg’schambermusictoHungary.Atthesametime,Schoenberg
influencedhispupilBerg,whowentontoinfluenceBartókwithhisLyrischeSuite.Schoenberg’s
useofextendedstringtechniquescatapultedachangeinoftheuseofthesetechniquesinthe
stringquartetgenre.
67BélaBartók,“ArnoldSchoenbergsMusikinUngarn,”MusikblätterdesAnbruch2(1920):647-48.
72
CHAPTER6
CONCLUSION
Althoughothercomposershadusedthesetechniquesinstringwritingbefore,Arnold
Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7No.1inDminorisgroundbreakingwithregardtothe
numberandlengthofextendedstringtechniquesandspecialeffectswithinonework.
Particularly,usingextendedstringtechniquestohelpliquidateformalsectionsonalargescale,
andtohelpdisintegratemotivesonasmallscale,wasaninnovationthathadneverbeenseen
beforeinchambermusic.ConsideringSchoenberg’sfascinationwithvagrantharmonies,
liquidation,developingvariation,andtheemancipationofdissonance,itisnotsurprisingthat
healsoemancipatedtheordinarysoundofstringplayingbyexperimentingwiththerelatively
little-exploredworldofextendedstringquartetsounds.
Asisevidencedbyhistoricalaccounts,AlbanBergcontinuedinhismentor’sfootstepsby
addinganarrayofextendedstringtechniquestohisStringQuartetOp.3(writtenin1910)and
hisLyrischeSuite(writtenin1927),therebyinfluencingBélaBartóktoaddevenmoreextended
stringtechniquestohisthirdandfourthstringquartets.Whiletheconversationaboutextended
stringtechniquesoftenbeginswithBartók,itismybeliefthatSchoenbergshouldberecognized
asaforerunnerforcompositionalinnovationswithextendedstringtechniquesinchamber
music.
73
InthemidtolateNineteenthcentury,thestringinstrumentswerewellestablishedas
thewindowtothehumansoul,withthemajorityofcomposerswritingforalushstringsound,
andrichsingingtones.BytheendofSchoenberg’slife,thesingingstringsoundwasnolonger
agiven.Musicforthestringinstrumentbythemiddleofthetwentiethcenturycouldbe
percussive,abrasive,andcouldemitavastnumberofpartialsdependingontheproximityof
thebowtothebridge.Schoenbergwasapioneerinawakeningtheaudiencesandother
composersofthetwentiethcenturytothecapabilitiesofthestringquartet.
74
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