String Quartets Timeline by

Arcangelo Corelli "Sonata in G Major" (1685)

myrahinrichs — 2024-06-26 12:19:16 UTC

Corelli dedicated this piece to Cardinal Pamphili in 1685. He was a virtuoso violinist and taught Vivaldi.

The Sonata in G Major features a balanced blend of lyrical melodies and intricate counterpoint, showcasing Corelli's mastery in creating expressive yet structured compositions. The piece typically contrast slow and fast movements, highlighting the interplay between the violin and basso continuo.

Baldassare Galuppi "Concerto a quattro No. 1 in G Major" (c. 1740)

myrahinrichs — 2024-06-26 12:25:50 UTC

This is a piece that bridges the gap between the trio sonata and the true string quartet

This piece includes homophony, which all supports the idea that the instruments all support the same melody. This makes it sound very beautiful.

Joseph Boulogne String Quartet No. 4 in C minor (1774)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-07 19:42:37 UTC

During this period of time it was the 18th C. and The Enlightenment was going on, which made composers and artist push back against the religious and severe art of the early Baroque.

The harmonies are rich and well-balanced, and have a somber and introspective feel.

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in B flat Major Op. 76 No. 4 "Sunrise" (1797)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-07 19:43:58 UTC

Haydn was considered the “father of the string quartet” and wrote 68 string quartets throughout his life.

This quartet was written at the end of his life, and has a rising theme which is why it is nicknamed “Sunrise”

Ludwig van Beethoven, String Quartet No. 13, Op. 130 "Cavatina" (1826)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-09 16:32:20 UTC

Historical: Cavatina was written in B flat major during the last years of Beethoven's life. It was written in 1826 and evolved the world of string quartets by following a 6 movement form instead of 4.

The piece was very moving and overall there was a lot of consonance as opposed to dissonance. This created a lot of harmony that makes audience feel a reaction toward the piece.

Antonin Dvorak, String Quartet No. 12 in F Major "The American" (1893)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-11 15:57:41 UTC

The late 19th century was a period of cultural exchange and national identity exploration. Dvořák's arrival coincided with an interest in creating a distinctly american musical voice, incorporating elements from various cultural influences, including African American and Native-American music.

Maurice Ravel, String Quartet in F Major (1903)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-11 15:58:00 UTC

Ravel (1875-1937) did not consider himself as an impressionist composer although everyone else at that time did. He was a slow worker and did not produce as much music as other composers at the time. His piece String Quartet in F major was modeled after Debussy's string quartet in 1893. It his his only string quartet and each instrument in the piece has a special role.

Bela Bartok, String Quartet No. 2 (1917)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-15 04:21:37 UTC

Historical: Bartok was a Hungarian music prodigy who played the piano. He became obsessed with Hungarian folk songs that he later incorporated into his piece that meshed many ethnic folk songs from the countryside.

Alberto Ginastera String Quartet No. 1 (1948) Movement IV. Allegramente Rustico

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-16 17:46:19 UTC

Ginastera divided his music into three periods: "Objective Nationalism" (1934–1948), "Subjective Nationalism" (1948–1958), and "Neo-Expressionism" (1958–1983)

For the music, he applies “the law of contrasts”. This means there are big contracts of loud/soft, smooth/sharp. This is done when something new is about to happen.

Florence Price, Five Folksongs in Counterpoint: "Calvary" (1950)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-17 17:50:39 UTC

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, String Quartet No. 1 "Calvary" (1956)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-17 17:50:59 UTC

Dmitri Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8 (1960)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-18 16:09:12 UTC

Samuel Barber, String Quartet No. 1 Op. 11, Movement II "Adagio for Strings" (1935-36)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-23 17:50:24 UTC

George Crumb, "Black Angels" (1970)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-23 17:51:05 UTC

George Crumb is an American composer specializing in the avant-guarde style of classical music compositions. Black Angels is one of his iconic works that differs from the Baroque or previous period music styles in that it is very angry and harsh sounding. This piece features many novel playing techniques that provide a unique texture in addition to utilizing sounds from ordinary objects.

Steve Reich, "Different Trains" (1988)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-24 17:42:43 UTC

Wadada Leo Smith, String Quartet No. 3 "Black Church" (1995)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-25 15:51:13 UTC

Wadada Leo Smith is a trumpet player from Mississippi. He movies to Chicago and studied ethnomusicology and created the AACM. This quartet is inspired by Wadada's connections to blues and church music in his early childhood. The piece sounds dense and tense.

Kaija Saariaho, "Terra Memoria" (2006)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-28 17:53:22 UTC

Jessie Montgomery, "Strum" 2006 (rev. 2012)

myrahinrichs — 2024-07-28 17:54:55 UTC

Jessie Montgomery is a composer from New York City. She pulls on many different inspirations for her music.

This piece uses American folk idioms and makes the string instruments sound like guitars.