'Death and the Maiden' is Schubert's 14th string quartet and its second movement is based on a melody from a song he had previously written of the same name, but this entire piece was composed basically once Schubert realised he was dying. And it doesn't hold back. We're left with a very passionate, strangely large scale work. One might even say epic.
But what makes it so popular? Well, one of the standout things about this piece for me is its totally unrestrained nature. Its written in such a way that you can tell Schubert was really giving this his all, and players can do the same. Schubert was an expert in overt simplicity but intellectual complexity and this really comes into its own here. But why a string quartet? What's so good about that?
String quartets are an often composed for ensemble, and one of the reasons for this is that they mirror the roles, in some ways, of an SATB choir (the first and second violins taking the Soprano and Alto roles while the viola acts as Tenor and the cello as Bass). This allows composers to explore a great range of pitches within a limited instrumentation, and along with that comes the possibility for all sorts of textures and harmonies. Also though, having all four instruments belong to the same family means that the sounds can blend and create a homogeneous yet layered feel. This, I think, can lead to moments in string quartets that feel like they are being played by far more than four people - something I think that happens a lot in this Schubert.
For example, the first movement begins with a huge declamatory sound before exploring motifs which ebb and flow between beauty/restraint/lyricism and extremely passionate, emotional and unrestrained. A lot of the way through this movement there is constant motion from somewhere, giving it a perpetual, unrelenting feel.
The second movement takes a simple theme and creates many different variations of it, at times having an almost funeral-like feel, and at other times feeling like it is picking up the pace somewhat. I think this movement really showcases Schubert's ability to go from small and intimate to large and epic sounding with only four instruments, all the while using each of the three types of instruments to their strengths.
Movement three, to me, has quite a taunting feel. There are moments that feel very classical, and others which feel even post-romantic. The running theme here seems to be an syncopated rhythm and a foreboding minor feel that leads onto the fourth movement, which builds on this. The final movement has an even more frantic feel in a very fast 6/8, and by the end of it I definitely feel like I've listened to an epic, large scale piece of music. I think this is an absolutely brilliant example of where less is more.
Next week I'll be looking at how having even fewer instruments allows them to really be explored in intricate and unexpected ways in a piece of chamber music...
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