ALLEGRETTO [INTERMEZZO] (F minor, 4/8 time)

0:00 [m. 1]--Part 1. Beginning on an upbeat, the first violin plays a descending
chain of two-note suspensions, semplice. The F-minor key is confirmed by the
opening
D-flat, but the melody and underlying harmony have a strong pull toward C minor
from
the outset. The first violin figures leap back up each measure, reaching higher
for the third gesture. Meanwhile, the viola has a plaintive counterpoint with
heavy
syncopation. The second violin and cello provide a steady pulse, bass line, and
harmony. The first half of the phrase moves strongly toward E-flat major. The
second
half begins the same way, but the third gesture avoids the large leap, becomes more
strongly chromatic, and settles to a full cadence in C minor.
0:18 [m. 9]--After the cadence, an upbeat immediately moves back to F minor for the
contrasting phrase. The first violin and viola are now in unison, as are the
second
violin and cello. The latter pair keeps the two-note figures moving, while the
first
violin and viola hold long notes before joining the others on upbeats. After the
first two measures, the instruments move gradually upward and the minor-key
harmonies
move through A-flat and B-flat on their way back to C. The volume swells and
recedes.
During the descent to the cadence, the second violin and cello split into harmony,
and then the first violin and viola abandon their unison as well, the latter
joining
the faster motion.
0:31 [m. 15]--At this second cadence, the cello starts to pulse on a low C. The
second violin and viola, in unison, slide downward chromatically. The first violin
has a new and passionate melody that starts high and winds its way downward. It
culminates in an arch figure that is imitated by second violin and viola as the
cello
pulsation slides upward. After another descent in first violin and cello, the
former
leaps back up. The pattern is repeated, but now with the first violin on the
descending
chromatic notes, and the second violin and viola taking the passionate melody. An
extra imitation of the arch is added, and then the instruments descend to a third
C-minor cadence, complete with reiterations in the cello.
0:52 [m. 25, first ending]--The two-measure first ending begins with a first violin
arpeggio in C minor over another cello reiteration. But the second violin,
followed
by the viola, introduces the note D-flat to make a transition back to F minor for
the repeat. Their entries, along with syncopated leaps in the first violin, merge
smoothly into the opening upbeat.
0:55 [m. 1]--Part 1 repeated. First phrase in two halves, settling to first C-
minor
cadence.
1:12 [m. 9]--Contrasting phrase with pairs of instruments in unison, as at 0:18.

1:25 [m. 15]--Passionate new melody against chromatic descents, as at 0:31.

1:46 [m. 25, second ending]--Part 2. The first violin plays the same arpeggio as
in the first ending, but now the second violin and viola responses also remain in
C minor. The upper three instruments break into syncopated pulsations as the cello
enters, also with heavy syncopation, using the plaintive counterpoint heard from
the viola at the beginning. Suddenly, the harmonies change, and both the
syncopated
pulsations and the cello melody shift down a half-step to B minor. The pattern is
repeated with the melody in the first violin and the pulsations in second violin
double stops and viola (the cello briefly pausing). It seems as if this passage
will make another shift down to B-flat as the cello re-enters, but the arrival is
averted.
2:07 [m. 35]--The cello prominently begins the melody again, this time in its low
register. The expected arrival on B-flat is diverted toward E-flat minor. Over
two measures, the cello reiterates the melody in the low register, now sounding
ominous,
as the violins and viola decorate with pulsations. Suddenly, almost without
warning,
all four instruments break into an upward unison scale passage in triplet rhythm
with repeated notes and a crescendo. All except the first violin sharply cut off
on the top note. The first violin holds it.
2:13 [m. 38]--The held violin note leads into a smooth passage marked dolce and
lusingando.
The viola enters against the note and then leads the first violin in a passage of
canon (imitation) at a fifth above. This canon is rather static, and heavily
features
a long note tied to the first note of a triplet. The syncopation of the triplets
betrays a relationship to the original viola melody. The motion of the triplet
figures
alternates between ascending and descending. Meanwhile, the cello and second
violin
similarly alternate in plucked leaps against the canon. The cello always leaps
down
a fifth, while the second violin intersperses an upward leap. The whole passage
is in heavily flat major keys, moving through G-flat and C-flat.
2:21 [m. 42]--The canon stalls for a measure, although the first violin and viola
still alternate, the former descending, the latter ascending. In the next measure,
the two instruments seamlessly come together, harmonized in beautiful triplet
sixths,
and they play a sweeping, downward-arching line in pure D-flat major. At the same
time, the second violin and cello break from their plucked notes. As the first
violin
and viola reach the upward end of their sweep, the viola shoots farther upward,
harmonizing
at the end in a third instead of a sixth. The first violin holds its note, and the
second violin enters with an echoing figure. Both violins hold notes over the bar
line.
2:30 [m. 46]--The second violin slides down in mild syncopation, and another smooth
passage similar to that at 2:13 [m. 38] ensues. This time, the canon is between
the first and second violins, with the first violin leading. The pattern follows
as expected, but the relationships between individual notes are different. This
time, the downward-sliding second violin leads the harmony a half-step down, to C
major. The cello and viola now have the plucked leaps, mostly in fifths, although
the first cello leap is an octave. The key relationships are similar, but ordered
somewhat differently, with C moving through F and B-flat.
2:40 [m. 50]--As at 2:21 [m. 42], the canon stalls for a measure, but unlike the
previous passage, the plucked notes, now in the cello and viola, become more
active,
and they decisively shift the key back to F. The harmonized downward-arching
triplet
line is played in F major. The violins subtly shift their harmonies between sixths
and thirds over the course of the arch, eventually reaching the same upward end of
the sweep. The cello and viola respond in a similar way to the second violin
before,
but in harmony.
2:48 [m. 54]--The passage is extended by two measures as the responding figure is
passed to the violins and back to the cello/viola pair, which then holds repeated,
mildly syncopated notes over the bar line. The second violin pointedly enters as
the cello slides down, moving the music to F minor for the varied reprise of Part
1.
2:54 [m. 56]--Varied reprise of Part 1. For all but the last two measures, the
violins
and cello reprise the opening two-part phrase unchanged. The viola, however,
replaces
its original plaintive counterpoint with the related smooth phrase in triplets used
for the canons in Part 2. These are prominent in the first two gestures of each
half, with the third gesture reverting closer to the original line. At the end of
the phrase, in the last two measures, there is an extremely artful change to the
pattern as the first violin reaches almost imperceptibly farther downward where it
had previously become chromatic. The other instruments are adjusted. The result
is that the motion to C minor is avoided and the full cadence stays home in F
minor.

3:11 [m. 64]--The end of the phrase is reiterated an octave higher, as if to

confirm
the F-minor cadence. It is then repeated a third time yet another octave above,
but the cadence is now lengthened, and the other instruments gently follow the
first
violin with a confirming gesture. The viola seems to start another reiteration at
the original octave. The entire contrasting phrase from 0:18 and 1:12 [m. 9] is
replaced by these short reiterations.
3:17 [m. 66]--The passionate melody from 0:31 and 1:25 [m. 15] is now given in F
minor. The pulsing cello (now on F) is slightly delayed, beginning off the beat.
The violins also start off the beat, leaving the viola exposed on its apparent
reiteration
of the cadence. The pulsing cello interrupts this, and the viola, along with the
second violin, moves into its chromatic downward slide. The remainder of the
passage
follows as before in the higher F-minor key, with only minor adjustments.
3:38 [m. 76]--Surprisingly, the first ending is given as at 0:52 [m. 25a] in a
direct
transposition. The first violin arpeggio is followed by the second violin and
viola,
as in that first ending. It merges right into the opening theme, which, following
the pattern, is briefly transposed to B-flat minor. However, as the original theme
had a strong pull to C minor, so is the pull to F minor strong here. The opening
gesture with the viola counterpoint now avoids a repetition and works quickly
downward
to a full arrival in the home key. This entire modification of the opening gesture
is repeated in the cello (the viola still has the counterpoint). Interjections
from
the violins (previously heard in second violin and cello) now add a level of
punctuation.

3:50 [m. 82]--The cello repeats the end of the descent an octave higher. The
violin
notes do not move up, but the viola counterpoint does. Then the second violin
echoes
this repetition up another octave, but modifies it, adding jumps and ending on the
note B-flat. This time the viola stays put, the cello drops out, and the first
violin
moves its punctuation up to the high octave. Finally, the cello repeats the second
violin modification, but adds a final leap down to low F. The viola counterpoint
also works down to the instrument’s low C. The punctuating violin notes become
more
isolated before the final arrival on F. As the cello holds the note, the other
instruments
pluck a gentle F major chord to end the main intermezzo.
TRIO (Un poco più animato, F major, 3/4 time)
4:02 [m. 87]--Part 1. The upbeat in the new 3/4 meter is also the last beat of the
4/8 measure (m. 86) at the end of the main intermezzo. The first violin plays a
dolce melody that leaps widely up and down. Its cheerful, rustic nature is
underpinned
by a “buzzing” effect in the second violin. The same note, A, is continuously
played,
alternating between a fingered and an open string. The viola and cello, meanwhile,
provide the bass and harmony as they pluck on the first and third beats of each
bar.
The first phrase remains solidly in F major, but without any firm arrival points.

4:11 [m. 95]--The second phrase begins with a turn to the “relative” minor key, D
minor, emphasized by a half-step descent to a long “leading” C-sharp in the first
violin and a break for the plucked viola and cello. After two of these half-step
descents, the pattern is shifted down a step, and there follow two similar gestures
suggesting C minor. Here, the harmony dictates that the second violin moves from
its “buzzing” A to an oscillating octave on G. The lower strings take their bows
and now hold their harmonies instead of resting during the long leading notes.
4:19 [m. 103]--A four-measure closing phrase seems to briefly move back to F before
the first violin gently descends to a full cadence in C, now C major. During this
descent, the second violin oscillation becomes more active, circling around the
note
C. The viola and cello continue to play bowed harmonies in support of the cadence.
The second violin trails after the arrival and leads into the first ending (m.
106a),
which ends with the upbeat to the repeat.
4:23 [m. 87]--Part 1 repeated. First phrase with dolce melody and buzzing A, as
at 4:02.
4:31 [m. 95]--Second phrase with motion to D minor and C minor, as at 4:11.
4:39 [m. 103]--Closing phrase and cadence in C major, as at 4:19. In the second
ending (m. 106b), the second violin plays the lower two notes of the chord, where
it had previously played the upper two, preparing for the new upbeat into Part 2.

4:43 [m. 107]--Part 2. The first violin twice makes an upward leaping gesture,
similar
in character to the half-step descents heard before. The oscillation moves to the
viola, now on an octave C. The second violin and cello respond in pleasant
harmonies
to the two leaps. There are then two further such leaps, now reaching higher, and
with harmonies suggesting E minor and G major. The oscillating viola moves to E.
The second of these higher leaps is extended by two full measures. The first
violin
then drops out, and there is a further two measure extension in which the second
violin and cello stretch out their notes, creating an implied 3/2 measure or
“hemiola.”
This also lengthens the upbeat into the next passage.
4:55 [m. 119]--The main theme of the trio section is played in a highly imaginative
re-scoring. First, the upbeat is extended to two beats because of the preceding
“hemiola.” The second violin again starts its “buzzing” repeated A. The first six
measures of the theme are now played pizzicato, with the melody divided between
instruments.
The first violin and cello play rich chords on the first and third beats of each
measure. The viola plays the notes on the second beats of each measure. The first
four of these are all on A, made to sound strongly by plucking the pitch on two
strings,
one open, one fingered. In the next two measures, the viola plays chords, and the
new harmonies are on chromatic “diminished” chords. The volume builds before the
theme abruptly breaks off. The viola joins the “buzzing” in a brief bridge.
5:03 [m. 127]--The “buzzing” breaks, and all instruments are now bowed. At this
dramatic high point, the violins play a new and full-hearted harmonized descending
line. It has colorful chromatic notes, but confirms the home key of F major. The
viola plays a downward winding accompaniment culminating in broken octaves, and the
cello bass line gradually becomes more active. There are two statements of the
line,
with the second statement breaking its violin harmonies into shorter repeated notes
for two measures. There is a full cadence.
5:12 [m. 135]--The volume suddenly becomes quiet at the cadence, and the second
violin
begins its distinctive “buzzing” one last time. In a charming “codetta,” the
remaining
instruments, all plucked, play descending cadence chords on the downbeats. After
one round of these, a second set is played an octave lower (although the cello bass
remains at the same level), with the texture reduced to single notes in the first
violin. The last cadence is a dolce broken chord. The second violin buzzes for
two more measures and then, in the briefest of transitions, moves to an oscillating
minor third on F, where the viola joins, moving in the opposite direction. This
leads directly into the upbeat of the main intermezzo.
ALLEGRETTO [INTERMEZZO] REPRISE
5:23 [m. 1, upbeat from m. 146]--Part 1. First phrase in two halves, settling to
first C-minor cadence, as at the beginning and 0:55.
5:41 [m. 9]--Contrasting phrase with pairs of instruments in unison, as at 0:18 and
1:12.
5:53 [m. 15]--Passionate new melody against chromatic descents, as at 0:31 and
1:25.

6:14 [m. 25, second ending]--Part 2. Arpeggios breaking into pulsations with
syncopated
cello melody in C minor, repeated by first violin in B minor, as at 1:46.
6:35 [m. 35]--Cello melody in low register, moving to E-flat minor, then upward
unison
scale in triplets, as at 2:07.
6:41 [m. 38]--Smooth, syncopated passage in canon and triplet rhythm, moving
through
G-flat and C-flat, as at 2:13.
6:50 [m. 42]--Canon stalls, then arching harmonized triplet line in sixths played
in D-flat major, as at 2:21.
6:59 [m. 46]--Second smooth, syncopated passage in canon and triplet rhythm,
beginning
in C major, as at 2:30.
7:08 [m. 50]--Canon stalls, then arching harmonized triplet line in sixths played
in F major, as at 2:40.
7:17 [m. 54]--Two-measure extension leading to varied reprise of Part 1, as at
2:48.

7:23 [m. 56]--Varied reprise of Part 1. Opening phrase with added triplet rhythm
and avoidance of motion to C minor, as at 2:54.
7:40 [m. 64]--Reiteration and confirmation of cadence, as at 3:11.
7:46 [m. 66]--Passionate melody played in F minor, as at 3:17.
8:07 [m. 76]--Return of “first ending,” then modified statement of main theme
opening,
as at 3:38.
8:19 [m. 82]—Repetitions in cello and second violin, then closing plucked F-major
chord, as at 3:50.
8:34--END OF MOVEMENT [146 (+86) mm.]
4th Movement: Allegro (Sonata-Allegro form with conflated development and
recapitulation).
C MINOR, Cut time [2/2].
EXPOSITION
0:00 [m. 1]--Theme 1. The forceful opening gesture, a rising figure given out in
unison spread over three octaves, is reminiscent of the main theme from the first
movement. But it is terse and almost epigrammatic, abruptly cutting off with a
distinctive
descending leap down to the “leading tone” of B-natural. Following this dramatic
statement, the first violin leads the continuation with a descending third and
feverish
upward-shooting figures. The viola plays these figures continuously, the second
violin answers the first violin with both rising and falling gestures, and the
cello
plays a descending bass line. The first violin rounds off its statement with a
yearning
figure, a longer note leaning into a broad descent.
0:08 [m. 7]--The lower instruments abruptly cut off, and the first violin continues
with more agitated figures, now characterized by downward motion to repeated lower
neighbor notes. These are punctuated by longer notes held over bar lines. The
lower
instruments punctuate the upbeats and downbeats with strong chords. The harmony
moves strikingly to the region of D major/G major followed by a turn back to the
more closely related F minor. The lower instruments play the rhythm of the main
gesture while the first violin figures become continuous and reach upward.
0:16 [m. 13]--The first violin again arrives at the opening gesture, but this time
the second violin and viola play a pattern of two-note descents based on the
repeated
neighbor-note figures. C minor is re-established, and the theme continues as at
the beginning. After three bars, however, the first violin breaks from the
expected
pattern with more dramatic leaps, accompanied by full chords (double and triple
stops
in viola and second violin). This last gesture that broke the pattern is repeated
on higher notes, with the cello adding a powerful descending line in triplet
rhythm.
A full cadence in C minor is approached.
0:27 [m. 21]--While the other three instruments play isolated harmonized versions
of the opening gesture, the first violin embarks on two huge arching sweeps using
the repeated neighbor-note figure or its directional variants. The first of these
is clearly on the home key of C minor, and the second is on G, the “dominant”
harmony.
After this second sweep, the first violin changes the repeated-note figure to a
downward leaping arch, dwelling on this version while the other instruments extend
the material from the main gesture. Finally, the first violin leads the viola and
cello in a cascading descent, still using the repeated-note figure.
0:42 [m. 33]--Transition. The cello lands on a sustained low C. The other
instruments
play vigorous and passionate descending lines, with the first violin starting a
distinctive
undulating pattern. The second violin and viola shadow the implied harmonies of
the undulating first violin. The direction sweeps upward and then back down, the
first violin adding wide leaps and the cello becoming active. The so-called
“Neapolitan”
harmony on D-flat is prominent. After four measures, there is another arrival on
C. After this four-bar phrase establishing the pattern, there are two similar
patterns
of half the length. These gradually establish B-flat as the “dominant” note in E-
flat
major. This is confirmed with trailing viola and cello lines.
0:52 [m. 42]--The first violin suddenly enters on an jagged three-note upbeat
leading
to an octave leap. The second violin immediately imitates this an octave lower.
Both instruments then play in the rhythm of the main opening gesture, the first
violin arching down and back up, mainly by steps. The imitation is not sustained,
as the second violin begins to harmonize the first. Meanwhile, the viola and cello
alternate on the jagged upbeat and following leap. The harmonized violin line
culminates
in a downward leap reminiscent of the main figure. Then things quickly quiet down
as the first violin winds down in a chromatic line. In the accompaniment, the
second
violin and cello incorporate a rising four-note figure.
1:04 [m. 50]--Theme 2 (E-flat major). The lead role is given to the second violin.
After a dolce yearning upward gesture, it descends, adding a distinctive turning
motion before the resolution. At first, there is a suggestion of B-flat, but a
second
statement again confirms E-flat. The other instruments accompany with isolated
chords,
adding distinctive syncopation between statements. The cello even imitates the
turning
motion. The first violin now takes over the theme, initially doubled an octave
below
by the viola. The theme reaches higher and builds. The cello re-introduces the
jagged upbeat figure from the transition, then unexpectedly takes over the Theme
2 melody. Meanwhile, the other instruments take up the upbeat figure, the second
violin and viola doubling its length. The volume builds as the instruments all
come
together.
1:18 [m. 60]--The violins in harmony once again take up the descending line in the
rhythm of the opening gesture. The lower instruments continue with the upbeat
figure,
which had been associated with this line. The violins quickly abandon the descent
and also join in passing around the upbeat figure. The key seems to have shifted
from E-flat back to C minor, and this becomes even more apparent on a second
statement
of the descending line that is even more chromatic. Again, the instruments
gradually
come together. At the climax, in a highly dramatic and unexpected move, Brahms
brings
back the main opening gesture, with the violins on their original pitches while the
viola and cello continue with the upbeat figure.
1:32 [m. 70]--Closing material. After all instruments cut off, the cello plays the
downward leap, holding the first note over the bar line. This merges into a
subdued
(tranquillo) major-key presentation of the main theme, begun by the upper three
instruments
on a long held note with a biting dissonance between the violins. The theme
obtains
a yearning quality as it slides into a half-close. There is then a brief buildup
with downward-arching figures on the first violin while the other instruments play
longer syncopated harmonies. The first violin settles down, also slipping into
syncopation,
but a full close is avoided.
1:55 [m. 81]--Re-transition. The opening gesture is used in a passage of great
intensification.
The first violin is followed in harmony by the other instruments in a rising
sequence
that builds in volume and agitation. After three rising first violin statements,
the sequence breaks. The first violin and cello now overlap in the main rhythm,
the cello leaping in fourths and fifths. The second violin and viola provide
supporting
harmonies. The buildup becomes even more powerful. The music seems to move
toward
a confirmation of C minor, but with another upward shift in the first violin and
cello, the key of F minor is now strongly implied. The final gesture making that
implication cuts off abruptly and is repeated.
DEVELOPMENT/RECAPITULATION
2:14 [m. 94]--The powerful return of the opening figure in the first violin at its
original pitch level marks the beginning of the development. Against this, the
second
violin and viola play the two-note descents in F minor based on the repeated
neighbor-note
figures, as at 0:16 [m. 13]. Instead of moving back to C minor, however, the
continuation
moves to A-flat major, the “relative” key of F minor. The first violin and cello
alternate on descending thirds. The other instruments punctuate in faster rhythm
on similar descending figures. Then things stall and settle down as the cello
dreamily
imitates the first violin in a circular motion that includes the chromatic note G-
flat.
A syncopated descent leads to the next harmonic shift.
2:25 [m. 102]--The violins play a powerful three-note descending arpeggio on the
upbeat. This leads to a full statement of the previous passage at a new harmonic
level (a major third lower). The cello now plays the opening figure, first
suggesting
C-sharp minor, then G-sharp minor. The two violins play the pattern of two-note
descents. The continuation is in E major. In this continuation, the first violin
and cello trade their roles completely, the latter leading the former. The second
violin and cello play their previous patterns, but in the “dreamy” passage with
circular
motion at the end, they become more active and even introduce their own similar
imitation
crossing with that of the first violin and cello. The close is more active and
intense.

2:35 [m. 110]--The development continues with a harmonically active passage that
makes more reference to the opening and its continuation. The viola and cello play
the opening figure, now in E minor (easily moving there from E major), as the
violins
cascade downward with the two-note figures. The cello then continues with the
original
Theme 1 material, still in E minor. The second violin and viola play similar
upward
fragments, but the first violin elaborates on the “yearning” figure that rounds off
the phrase. This material is then used to move to A minor, where the first violin
imitates the cello on the “yearning” figure. The second violin/viola figures now
move downward, and they settle onto a repeated syncopated third.
2:49 [m. 120]--All instruments come together, gathering strength. All except the
first violin play a long-short pattern, hovering on A minor. The first violin
plays
downward-arching figures derived from 0:08 [m. 7] and elsewhere. Everything
culminates
in the upward-shooting figures from the first violin. The other instruments join
these in harmony, with the viola and cello plunging downward. This leads to a huge
arrival point that marks the end of the development.
2:54 [m. 124]--Transition, analogous to 0:42 [m. 33]. We now see that the entire
short development section, beginning as it did with the opening gesture and
continuing
to work with Theme 1 material, has actually stood in lieu of Theme 1 itself, thus
merging the development and recapitulation. Starting the transition in A minor
reveals
careful planning. By analogy with the exposition, the “dominant” arrival will be
on G, which will of course lead back to, rather than away from the home key area
of C for the remainder of the movement. The first violin and cello follow the same
pattern as before, but the inner lines of the second violin and viola are somewhat
rearranged and interchanged throughout.
3:05 [m. 133]--Continuation with jagged upbeats and octave leaps, analogous to 0:52
[m. 42]. The key of C major is established. Again, the pattern from the
exposition
is closely followed, with the second violin and viola continuing to occasionally
reverse roles.
3:16 [m. 141]--Theme 2 in C major, analogous to 1:04 [m. 50]. Here, adherence to
the exposition model is close. The second violin leads, and the melody is then
taken
over by first violin and viola, as before.
3:30 [m. 151]--Dynamic passage with descending lines and upbeat figures, analogous
to 1:19 [m. 60]. The viola reverses roles with the cello at one point, and the
second
violin lines are altered for the sake of register in the new key. The key appears
to move back toward A minor. The opening gesture makes a dramatic return, as
before,
with the viola taking over for the second violin.
3:44 [m. 161]--Closing material, analogous to 1:32 [m. 70], with the cello
holdover.
The major-key presentation of the theme is now marked mezza voce, along with dolce
ed espressivo. The biting dissonance is now a double stop in the viola. Unlike
the rest of the reprise, this passage is set significantly higher. Halfway
through,
at the downward-arching lines and syncopation, there is a highly unexpected and
magical
turn to the passage’s original key, E-flat major. This flares up and quickly
subsides,
as the descending syncopated lines lead back to the “dominant” harmony in C. At
this point, the correspondence to the exposition ends with a new re-transition into
the coda.
4:07 [m. 172]--Re-transition, somewhat corresponding to 1:55 [m. 81], but leading
into the extended coda. Like the previous re-transition, this one steadily builds,
but it makes more use of the descending leap from the opening figure. The long-
short
rhythm of this leap is reiterated seven times in the top three instruments,
although
the leap is not consistent and two times, the downward motion of the first violin
is only a step. Against this, the cello plays octave leaps with emphasis on the
second beat of each measure. The whole passage is rich with chromatic notes,
usually
serving as “leading tones.”
4:18 [m. 180]--At the high point, the violins hold a long note as the cello and
viola
settle into a pattern of syncopation that the violins also immediately join. The
first violin is least active, holding repeated notes in the middle of each bar (at
first with the cello) before gradually descending. The second violin and viola
have
more motion within the bar, but they, along with the first violin, hold notes over
bar lines. The only downbeat articulations in this passage are in the cello, which
first slides up, then becomes more active and starts to descend by wide leaps. The
second violin and viola join the first violin in the slower motion. The whole
passage
settles down. Two quiet, isolated chords, also held over bar lines, are punctuated
by a single cello note. These chords set up the arrival of the “dominant” harmony,
G, to begin the extended coda.
CODA
4:36 [m. 192]--The coda utilizes the main theme, including whole passages from the
exposition that were omitted from the conflated development and recapitulation.
The key signature of C minor, absent since 2:25 [m. 102], returns. After the
anticipatory
pause, the violins suddenly and forcefully rush upward in harmony, using the
familiar
two-note slurs. The viola and cello, after an octave leap, plunge downward against
the violin surge. This all leads to a grand statement of the opening gesture in
the first violin. It is now accompanied and harmonized by the continuing two-note
slurs, which are played in an arch pattern ans passed between pairs of instruments.
These continue under two altered, lower reiterations of the distinctive descending
leap.
4:43 [m. 198]--The continuation of Theme 1 heard after the opening gesture provides
most of the material for the coda. It is first presented in an intensified form,
with higher upward-shooting figures in the first violin. The viola, then the
second
violin, provide nearly parallel harmonization for these figures. The viola settles
into syncopated double stops. The cello plays a slow bass line that mostly
descends
by half-steps. As the passage reaches its high point, the first violin sweeps
downward,
recalling the “yearning” motion. This is harmonized by another arching line from
both second violin and viola, using the two-note slurs.
4:52 [m. 205]--Almost imperceptibly, the original continuation from the third
measure
of the movement emerges out of the first violin descent. The original upward-
shooting
gestures and yearning motion are heard.
4:57 [m. 209]--The passage from 0:08 [m. 7] is restated. The only variation is
small,
but effective. The strong chords formerly heard on upbeats and downbeats are now
reiterated in the rhythm of the first violin
5:05 [m. 215]--The return of the opening gesture would be expected here by analogy,
but Brahms inserts an extended passage loosely based on the material from 0:27 [m.
21]. Having arrived in F minor, the first violin inverts the direction of the
opening
gesture. The cello plays the gesture in its original direction. The second violin
and viola move against both with upward octave leaps and neighbor notes. They all
cut off except the first violin, which plunges down. The same pattern is presented
a third lower, with the first violin an additional octave lower (the second violin
crossing above it). The cello now has leaps and neighbor notes.
5:10 [m. 219]--The second violin and cello take over the “inverted” version of the
main gesture, with the first violin and viola playing the octave leaps and neighbor
notes. The key moves back home to C minor. After the outer instruments expand
outward,
the first violin again plunges down. The viola, then the second violin and cello
join it. The large descent leads to a low C on viola and cello.
5:17 [m. 225]--As the low instruments reach the bottom, Brahms moves “backward,”
presenting the material from 0:16 [m. 13] in a most powerful variation, without the
opening gesture. Instead of playing the thematic continuation as heard in the
third
measure (and again just now at 4:47 [m. 209]), the material is transformed into
powerful
chords passed between the violins and the lower instruments. After the first two
measures, there is a seamless merge into the intensified original material,
including
the cello’s descending line in triplet rhythm and the approach to a C-minor
cadence.

5:27 [m. 231]--The concluding passage is incredibly intense. It begins with the
cello establishing a pedal point on its low C, which it will hold—with continuous
syncopated pulsations—for the next 13 measures. Above it, material based on the
vigorous, passionate descending lines from the transition (first heard at 0:42 [m.
33]) is used for a massive buildup of speed and energy (stringendo). The first
violin,
viola, and cello (on other strings above the pedal point) play the descending lines
while the second violin adds the powerful churning, undulating motion associated
with them. All gradually become more syncopated, but the viola is the steadiest,
and it also adds the ascending inversion of the lines. The initial pattern is
stated
twice.
5:31 [m. 235]--The first violin reaches higher, and its descent becomes longer and
very syncopated, with notes held across bar lines. The viola and cello are again
less syncopated (except for the pedal point) and the second violin continues the
churning motion. As the first violin completes its descent, the viola joins the
agitated motion of the second violin, and syncopation becomes even heavier in all
the instruments. The first violin draws out its cadence as the second violin and
viola settle onto forcefully syncopated repetitions of a dissonant “diminished
seventh”
chord. At the cadence, the cello pedal point finally breaks.
5:41 [m. 244]--The first violin shoots up with the familiar pattern involving
repeated
notes. The cello quickly joins in the opposite direction, plunging down. The
second
violin and viola also shoot upward, the second violin including octave leaps. This
all culminates in the fully harmonized downward leap from the opening gesture, but
it now lands on F-sharp, the leading tone of the “dominant” harmony. This leap had
been heard toward the end of the passages from 0:16 [m. 13] and 5:17 [m. 225]
against
the descending triplet-rhythm line in the cello. In both cases, a C-minor cadence
was approached, but the arrival was diverted into new material. It is now at last
granted finality with a pause and three powerful chords. This final gesture bears
a more than superficial resemblance to the very opening of the first movement.
6:03 (runoff after 5:48)--END OF MOVEMENT [248 mm.]
END OF QUARTET

BRAHMS LISTENING GUIDES HOMESTRING QUARTET NO. 2 in A MINOR, OP. 51, NO. 2
Recording: Melos Quartet (Wilhelm Melcher, 1st Violin; Gerhard Voss, 2nd violin;
Hermann Voss, viola; Peter Buck, cello) [DG 423 670-2]
Published 1873. Dedicated to “his friend” Dr. Theodor Billroth in Vienna.

For general information about the background and composition of the two Op. 51
string
quartets, see the guide for Op. 51, No. 1.

The A-minor quartet largely follows the same lines as its C-minor companion, but
its proportions vary somewhat. The slow movement is larger, but the minuet/scherzo
substitute is shorter. Overall, the mood, while still intense and passionate, is
more lyrical. The piece is also notable for its “homotonality,” meaning that all
four movements share the same key center of A minor or major. It follows the Piano
Trio in B major, op. 8, the First Piano Concerto in D minor, Op. 15, and the Horn
Trio in E-flat major, Op. 40. Two later multi-movement instrumental works, the
Piano
Trio in C minor, Op. 101, and the Clarinet/Viola Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 120,
No. 2, would share this aspect. The first movement, although certainly not a
relaxed
or leisurely piece, is far more melodic than its driving, relentless counterpart
in the C-minor work. This is evident in both the expressive main theme and the
sumptuous
second theme. There is also much excitement, as in the acceleration toward the end
in the coda. The second movement has great beauty, and is fully worked out, a
marked
contrast to the concise “Romanze” in Op. 51, No. 1. The economy with which Brahms
constructed the main theme is cause for amazement, and the movement was
particularly
admired by Arnold Schoenberg, who analyzed it extensively in his famous essay
“Brahms
the Progressive.” The third movement is headed “Quasi Minuetto,” a title
previously
used in the A-major orchestral serenade. It is really another “scherzo
substitute.”
The central trio section provides an especially strong contrast in mode (major),
meter (duple), and tempo (fast). Unusually, the Minuet music briefly returns to
round off each of the trio section’s two parts. The finale, a true sonata-rondo
hybrid, derives its energy from metrical conflicts between the main melody and its
accompaniment. The Hungarian czárdás is the generic model, providing the “gypsy”
flavor seen in other finale movements such as that of the Op. 25 Piano Quartet in
G minor. The movement ends with a culminating two-part coda.

IMSLP WORK PAGE

ONLINE SCORE FROM IMSLP (First Edition from Brahms-Institut Lübeck)
ONLINE SCORE FROM IMSLP (From Breitkopf & Härtel Sämtliche Werke)

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