Cavatina

In my previous post, I mentioned the "Cavatina" movement from Beethoven's string quartet No. 13 in Bb Opus 130, as performed by the Emerson String Quartet.

I cannot just mention it though.  I listened to this most celebrated, most intimate, most holy music again after my previous post, and I don’t mind saying that I cried like a child.

This movement is a spacious contemplation of the point of it all.   But it is what happens after the fire and the fury.  After our impassioned “Why?!!” has run its course.  After the drunkenness has begun to fade.

It is the clear-eyed moment right before dawn.

The middle portion of the piece, which begins at the 2:22 mark (once again, as performed by the Emerson quartet here) is the center.  The sublime.    It is the moment when the ALL, of which I am an infinitesimally small part, touches my arm and says, in the words of Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

The speaking continues,  “Remember.   This life, this existence, this creation, this crucible - of pain, of sorrow, of awe, of joy, of terror and of beauty -  this crucible of creation is the one we chose - do you remember?  We chose it.  We created it.  We wanted to forget, for a while, and therefore to really live."

"But all will be well."

And at the 2:50 mark this still, small voice then swells in glory - a tiny peek through the veil.

And then, in utter generosity,  at the 3:22 mark these reminding phrases are repeated again, in different voicing - another reminder of the variety in the unity - the choice of creation.  

And one last peak at 3:50.  One last peek for now.

Then we are gently led back.  Back to a moment of rest before this life beings anew.

But remember.   All will be well.

Cheese Doodles and Beethoven

First!   

When cheese doodles leads to a moment of pure bliss!

From the amazing Radiolab episode:

"On day 86 of a 3-month trek to and from the South Pole, adventurer Aleksander Gamme discovered something he'd stashed (and forgotten) under the ice at the start of his trip (3 months earlier). He wasn't expecting such a rush of happiness in that cold..."

And now!

Please listen to the "Alla Dansa Tedesca" and "Cavatina" movements from Beethoven's string quartet No. 13 in Bb Opus 130.  I like the Emerson String Quartet’s performance (as usual!).  These ten minutes of music are just a slice from Beethoven’s mesmerizing late quartets.

The first time you hear it, it is quite beautiful. By the 5th or 6th time it sounds like the music that should play at the end of the world.

Christmas in C Major!

This is a Christmas Mix that I made for my family this year.  It consists of six works in the key of C - five by Haydn and one by Mozart.  The following are notes for each track which include many time markings to point out specific points in each piece.  I also list the specific recording artist and the length of each piece (to help insure that you find the correct version of each).  I will also list a Spotify link to each recording.       

Knowing information about a piece of music can take one's enjoyment to a new level.  I hope that reading these notes, along with listening to the music, will help someone out there truly enjoy this great music!

Track One:   Haydn’s Symphony No. 97 in C - 1st Mov. performed by Eugen Jochum and the London Philharmonic Orchestra      8:49

Haydn, Franz Joseph – Haydn: 1. Adagio - Vivace - 1. Adagio - Vivace

The first movement of a classical symphony is almost always in sonata-allegro form.  Understanding this form and listening for it enhances one's enjoyment of the piece immensely, just as understanding the form of a sonnet help a reader appreciate a poem.

Here is a an outline of the form with a brief description of each section:

Introduction (optional) -  Exposition (repeated) - Development - Recapitulation - Coda

Introduction - Haydn loved slow introductions.  They often contained little foreshadowing figures of themes to come,  but basically they seem to settle a listener in - like a prelude.  Because of its contrast to the rest of the movement, the slow intro also gives the following allegro an added sense of momentum - an explosiveness of joy.  Sometimes I think of them like Greek choruses, preparing the audience for what is to come.    11 of the 12 London symphonies have slow introductions at the beginning.

The Exposition contains the main thematic material of the movement.   We hear Theme One right off the bat (after the intro) in a Haydn first movement.   Theme One is in the main key of the piece.  It is usually presented once or twice with some variation, and then a bridge of melodic development eventually takes us into a new key - in a classical symphony, the dominant (the key that is the fifth note up from the main key).   Haydn often presents Theme One again in the new key - these works are often called "monothematic" and are quite common in Haydn's mature style.  No. 94, the "Surprise" Symphony and No. 104, the "London" Symphony are good examples of monothematic expositions.

Just as often, however, a new melody (Theme Two) is presented in the new key.  No. 97 is a good example of a symphony using two Themes (the second is lovely - a waltz-like melody).    Most descriptions of sonata-allegro form will show "Theme One and Theme Two", but Haydn's use of the monothematic style shows us that for this developer of the form, key relationship was more important than a thematic difference.

And sometimes Haydn will do both!   For instance in No. 100, the "Military" Symphony, we hear Theme One in the original key and in the dominant key, but then another theme is presented in the dominant key as well which figures heavily in the development - our next section.

But before we move on, I must mention that the Exposition in a classical symphony is repeated.  This gives the audience a good chance to become familiar with the Themes.   If you are learning to follow the form of a symphony, catching the repeat is one of the first things to try to do.  Then try to identify the Themes.

The Development is where the composer leads us into the woods.  It's the true explorative drama of the piece as the Themes are broken apart, played backwards, turned upside down, sent through a myriad of harmonic centers, and thrown around like a hot potato between the orchestral sections.   Finally, after leading us away from home, the Development must lead us back again as it creates a focused tension which must resolve into...

The Recapitulation, which is the return of Theme One in the original key.  There is usually no verbatim replaying of the Exposition.  You will hear the same ideas, including the bridge materials most likely, but they may be treated a bit differently.   And this time the bridge material will not lead us into the dominant key.  We will stay in the main key for Theme Two as the piece establishes an overall harmonic resolution.  We see again that key relationship is the main drama of classical sonata-allegro form.  

The Coda is extra material at the end to add extra affirmation to the home key.

And there is a summary of sonata allegro from.

Now, using the London Philharmonic recording with Eugene Jochum conducting, I will give the specific time points where these different sections begin in Haydn's Symphony No. 97 in C Major.  

Intro:  0:00  - this is a relatively short intro by Haydn' standards.  It definitely features some foreshadowing of things to come!

Exposition/Theme One: 1:12  - so explosive!

Theme Two:  2:26  - so beautiful!

Exposition Repeat/ Theme One: 3:06

Theme Two:  4:20

Development:  4:59   - Can you pick out the different pieces of the themes he uses?  He focuses mainly on Theme One, but there are some quicker violin passages which sound like the ascending short notes in Theme Two.   There's probably many other references, including bridge material, that I have not found yet.

Recapitulation/Theme One: 6:10 - It doesn't take long to depart from the Exposition.

Theme Two: 7:07  -   Ah, still beautiful!

Coda:  8:24 -  It starts like Theme One, but quickly reinforces C Major to the end.

And there is another Haydn masterpiece.   Nine minutes goes by pretty quickly when one knows the form and can admire Haydn's concise, clear execution.

Track Two: Haydn’s String Quartet No. 57 in C (Op. 74 No. 1) - 1st mvt. performed by the Endellion String Quartet       6:48

Endellion String Quartet – String Quartets Op. 74 (Hob. III: 72-74) 'Apponyi', String Quartet in C major Op. 74 No. 1: I. Allegro moderato

This is one of my favorite Haydn quartets.  It is a high-flying tour-de-force of non-stop melodic inventiveness! It was on a tape I bought sometime in Junior High or High School.  Then when I went to Interlochen in the summer of 1993, my string quartet coach selected this movement for us to work on all summer - to my great pleasure!  Our excellent first violinist was from South Africa, and you can hear that he was busy when we played this!

After an opening chord, the Exposition is under way!  It repeats at 1:45.  The Development begins at 3:25.  I particularly like the figure in octaves that occur at the 4:15 mark!  The Recapitulation is at 4:48.   And with Haydn (like Mozart and especially Beethoven), the Recap never really sees an end to the development of the material....

Track Three: Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C “Dissonance” (K. 465) - 1st mvt. performed by the Emerson String Quartet     10:30

Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus [Composer] – Mozart: String Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 - "Dissonance" - 1. Adagio - Allegro

As a young adult Mozart became familiar with Haydn’s string quartets and was amazed by them.  He began working on a set of six quartets which he dedicated to Haydn - they are known as the “Haydn” quartets.   He spent three years working on them on and off again - which is amazing considering he often composed whole symphonies and operas in a matter of weeks.

Mozart's published dedication page (1 Sept. 1785):

“To my dear friend Haydn,

A father who had resolved to send his children out into the great world took it to be his duty to confide them to the protection and guidance of a very celebrated Man, especially when the latter by good fortune was at the same time his best Friend. Here they are then, O great Man and dearest Friend, these six children of mine. They are, it is true, the fruit of a long and laborious endeavor, yet the hope inspired in me by several Friends that it may be at least partly compensated encourages me, and I flatter myself that this offspring will serve to afford me solace one day.....”

This last of the six is known as the “Dissonance Quartet” because of the extraordinarily dissonant and tonally ambiguous opening of this movement.  When it was published it is reported that several people asked for “corrected” scores! 

Haydn initially wondered if there were mistakes in the opening of this movement but later wrote that “if Mozart wrote it, he must have meant it.”

And yet after the dissonant opening, the subsequent movement (the Exposition starts at 1:58) is as perfectly classical (yet incredibly intricate) as one could imagine.   The Exposition repeats at 4:19.  The Development begins at 6:38 and the Recapitulation is at 7:56 - beginning with yet another voicing of Theme I!

Haydn heard these quartets at a private performance, with Mozart playing in the quartet (sometimes Haydn played quartets with Mozart as well, he on violin and Mozart on viola).  Afterwards, Leopold Mozart wrote in a letter to his daughter Nannerl, Mozart’s sister, that Haydn spoke to him after the concert saying, “Before God, and as an honest man, I tell you that your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name. He has taste, and, what is more, the most profound knowledge of composition.”

Given Haydn’s musical brilliance and gracious, generous nature - and the mutual respect and affection between he and Mozart - this comment seems likely to be historically accurate.

Track Four:  Haydn’s String Quartet No. 72 in C “Emperor” (Op. 76 No. 3) - 2nd mvt. performed by the Emerson String Quartet     6:34

Haydn, Franz Joseph [Composer] – Haydn: String Quartet in C, H.lll, Op.76, No.3 - "Emperor" - 2. Poco adagio, cantabile

When Haydn was in England, he really enjoyed their national anthem - “God Save The King”.   He wanted to compose a memorable hymn that could serve that purpose for his country, and he definitely pulled it off with the “Emperor’s Hymn.”   It quickly became Austria’s first national anthem and today is the national anthem of Germany.  Haydn wrote this quartet movement using the “Emperor’s Hymn” as the basis for a theme and variations.  The melody is presented five times - once by each instrument in the quartet, and then again by the first violin at the end.  Right after the five minute mark, the first violin shifts the melody up an octave.

At 5:20, the cello begins holding a long, sustained D.  At around 5:35, the tension releases as the cello makes an upward run leading to the climax of the melody and of the piece - which sounds like a glimpse into the dimension of heaven.

Track Five: Haydn’s Sym. No. 90 in C - 1st movement performed by Adam Fischer & Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra   7:26

Franz Joseph Haydn – Symphony No.90 in C Major

I play this symphony for the boys all the time in the living room - especially in the morning!

The slow introduction gives us a glimpse of Theme I, which is introduced properly at the 1:00 mark when the movement “kicks in”.  Theme II enters at 1:42.   Theme I reappears at the end of the Exposition.  The repeat occurs at 2:43 or so.  The Development starts at around 4:26 or so and makes great use of both themes.  One reason I like this symphony so well is because the themes are so easily identifiable, and the repeating first note of Theme I makes it easy to listen for in the development.  Theme II has a distinctive arpeggio feel which also makes it fairly easy to listen for.

The Recapitulation begins at 5:39.

Track Six:  Haydn’s Sym. No. 95 in C Min - 4th mvt. performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra & Sir Colin Davis    3:43

Haydn, Franz Joseph [Composer] – Haydn: 4. Finale (Vivace) - 4. Finale (Vivace)

This is the final movement to this work.  The contrapuntal writing is fantastic!  And yet it is so melodic at the same time.

The London Symphonies part two: Sonata-Allegro Form!

The first movement of a classical symphony is almost always in sonata-allegro form.  Understanding this form and listening for it enhances one's enjoyment of the piece immensely, just as understanding the form of a sonnet help a reader appreciate a poem.

Here is a an outline of the form with a brief description of each section:

Introduction (optional) -  Exposition (repeated) - Development - Recapitulation - Coda

Introduction - Haydn loved slow introductions.  They often contained little foreshadowing figures of themes to come,  but basically they seem to settle a listener in - like a prelude.  Because of its contrast to the rest of the movement, the slow intro also gives the following allegro an added sense of momentum - an explosiveness of joy.  Sometimes I think of them like Greek choruses, preparing the audience for what is to come.    11 of the 12 London symphonies have slow introductions at the beginning.

The Exposition contains the main thematic material of the movement.   We hear Theme One right off the bat (after the intro) in a Haydn first movement.   Theme One is in the main key of the piece.  It is usually presented once or twice with some variation, and then a bridge of melodic development eventually takes us into a new key - in a classical symphony, the dominant (the key that is the fifth note up from the main key).   Haydn often presents Theme One again in the new key - these works are often called "monothematic" and are quite common in Haydn's mature style.  No. 94, the "Surprise" Symphony and No. 104, the "London" Symphony are good examples of monothematic expositions.

Just as often, however, a new melody (Theme Two) is presented in the new key.  No. 97 is a good example of a symphony using two Themes (the second is lovely - a waltz-like melody).    Most descriptions of sonata-allegro form will show "Theme One and Theme Two", but Haydn's use of the monothematic style shows us that for this developer of the form, key relationship was more important than a thematic difference.

And sometimes Haydn will do both!   For instance in No. 100, the "Military" Symphony, we hear Theme One in the original key and in the dominant key, but then another theme is presented in the dominant key as well which figures heavily in the development - our next section.

But before we move on, I must mention that the Exposition in a classical symphony is repeated.  This gives the audience a good chance to become familiar with the Themes.   If you are learning to follow the form of a symphony, catching the repeat is one of the first things to try to do.  Then try to identify the Themes.

The Development is where the composer leads us into the woods.  It's the true explorative drama of the piece as the Themes are broken apart, played backwards, turned upside down, sent through a myriad of harmonic centers, and thrown around like a hot potato between the orchestral sections.   Finally, after leading us away from home, the Development must lead us back again as it creates a focused tension which must resolve into...

The Recapitulation, which is the return of Theme One in the original key.  There is usually no verbatim replaying of the Exposition.  You will hear the same ideas, including the bridge materials most likely, but they may be treated a bit differently.   And this time the bridge material will not lead us into the dominant key.  We will stay in the main key for Theme Two as the piece establishes an overall harmonic resolution.  We see again that key relationship is the main drama of classical sonata-allegro form.  

The Coda is extra material at the end to add extra affirmation to the home key.

And there is a summary of sonata allegro from.

Now, using the London Philharmonic recording with Eugene Jochum conducting, I will give the specific time points where these different sections begin in Haydn's Symphony No. 97 in C Major.  

Intro:  0:00  - this is a relatively short intro by Haydn' standards.  It definitely features some foreshadowing of things to come!

Exposition/Theme One: 1:12  - so explosive!

Theme Two:  2:26  - so beautiful!

Exposition Repeat/ Theme One: 3:06

Theme Two:  4:20

Development:  4:59   - Can you pick out the different pieces of the themes he uses?  He focuses mainly on Theme One, but there are some quicker violin passages which sound like the ascending short notes in Theme Two.   There's probably many other references, including bridge material, that I have not found yet.

Recapitulation/Theme One: 6:10 - It doesn't take long to depart from the Exposition.

Theme Two: 7:07  -   Ah, still beautiful!

Coda:  8:24 -  It starts like Theme One, but quickly reinforces C Major to the end.

And there is another Haydn masterpiece.   Nine minutes goes by pretty quickly when one knows the form and can admire Haydn's concise, clear execution.

By the way, the Cleveland Orchestra under George Szell is another great recording and very different in style.  I prefer the Jochum because of the general level of gusto, but the Szell has wonderful clarity.

I will be back soon with the rest of my London Symphonies list.    And then I will be back again with a more thorough evaluation, which I expect will change the list quite a bit!

A Great Piece from Clara Schumann

Robert Schumann’s wife was Clara Wieck Schumann, one of the preeminent concert pianists of her day.  She was also a wonderful composer, and her pursuance of that art in a male dominated culture, where women were accepted as performers but not as composers, is a tribute to her perseverance and her great love of music 

Despite Robert’s support, the culture even caused Clara to doubt the role of women as composers (though she loved doing it).

Last night I listened to the first movement of her piano trio in G minor, and it was a wonderful experience!  The piece features a very memorable opening melody and the form is clear.  I look forward to listening to the remaining movements later tonight - and I will definitely be revisiting the first movement soon.

This is excellent music written by a brilliant musician and and a true cultural pioneer.

The London Symphonies

The last twelve symphonies written by Haydn are often referred to as the London Symphonies.   They were written specifically for concerts in London, and many were even written in that city during Haydn's two lengthy and successful visits towards the end of his career.

Although there is MUCH to explore in all of Haydn's symphonies, these are often considered his crowning achievement in the symphonic form.  He had done much to develop the form of the symphony over his career (he is often referred to as "the father of the symphony"), and composers, such as his great friend Mozart, took a lot of Haydn's ideas and ran with them, helping to standardize them even more.

Haydn, innovator though he was, also lived long enough to see what Mozart and others had done with the symphony and was able to be influenced in return!   Basically, he was in the unique position of being both an innovator and a "perfecter" of the classical symphony.   He also did the same with other hallmark genres of the Viennese Classical style - the piano sonata, and particularly the string quartet - where his personality shines forth perhaps more than in any other area.

But back to the London Symphonies.   I like to listen systematically, so I though I would rank the works as a method to explore them more.   I wouldn't take my ranking too seriously of course.  They might change dramatically after another year of listening!   But it's a fun way to explore Haydn's music, so why not?

My methodology is fairly haphazard, but there is still a bit of one, so here it is!   I weight the first movement substantially more than the others in importance.   The second slow movement is also very important - a "weighty" part of the piece.   The last movement has less importance, it is usually a bit of light (albeit fast and furious) fun at the end, and the minuet movement is definitely last - it is mostly a nice break from the more substantive sections.  When judging movements, I give a lot of points to themes I deem beautiful, to counterpoint, and to the overall melodic flow and structure of the piece.  And by the way, the first movement of each symphony (except one) begins with a slow introduction before the main themse are presented.

I will give a few comments on each symphony, but these are just brief summaries of my opinions.  I am spending a lot more time listening to and writing music than writing words these days - but hopefully there is enough to make exploring these pieces even more interesting for any interested music-lovers.

I have explored many different recordings of these pieces, but my default choice is The London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eugene Jochum.   Sometimes the sound is a bit too reverb-y and mushy, but there is almost always passionate music-making, rousing tempos, joy and a certain grandness to the sound.

I also want to say that Haydn is my all-around favorite composer/musician for many reasons.  All of his symphonies receive A's in my grade book.   But it is still fun to give out some pluses and minuses!  So here goes!

12 - Symphony No. 96 in D Major "The Miracle".   This work received its nickname because of a London performance where the audience rushed the stage in enthusiasm for the music.   Then a chandelier fell to the ground where they had been sitting and no one was hurt!    The story seems to be fairly credible, however somehow the nicknamers got the wrong symphony!   When studying the dates and programs, music historians discovered that it was actually symphony No. 102 in Bb that was played at that concert.   So sometimes No. 102 is called "The Miracle", but mostly No. 96 still wears the title.

The first theme of this piece is quite good.  However, the rest of the movement seems a bit thin.   The second and third movements are quite nice, and the fourth is lively, albeit a little thin on counterpoint.

11 - Symphony No. 99 in E flat Major.   This piece is still growing on me for sure.  It is one of the few where listening to a different recording from the Jochum has served me well.  Because of this, I may have a bit of a late start on this symphony compared to the others.  I prefer the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis.  The Jochum seems a bit stuffy at times, and the Davis recording is crisper and livelier.  The second movement in particular came alive to me when I heard the Davis recording.

The first theme is energetic and presented in the tonic and dominant keys.  There is a second, contrasting theme as well which is a bit "proper" sounding to my ear.  The Exposition as a whole, and particularly the opening theme and bridge materials associated with it, are actually pretty great.  And the third and fourth movements are nice.  At least one respected critic I have read ranks this symphony in his top four or five out of the twelve.   I will keep listening.  I predict that it could keeping growing on me!

The problem is that all the London twelve are pretty great (and still growing on me).  I guess one of them has to be number 11.    ;)

10 -  Symphony No. 102 in Bb Major.   This is regarded as one of Haydn's absolute best works, however the themes are not super appealing to me.   The first is a bit short and repetitious and the second is hard to pick out.    From the development to the ending is absolutely fantastic, however.    The second movement is one of the best out of the London twelve.  The third and fourth movements are OK.

9 - Symphony No. 95 in C Minor.   This is the only minor symphony out of the twelve.  And it is also the only one not to feature a slow introduction before the exposition.  Once again the themes are not super memorable and the movement is not very heavy on counterpoint.  The second and third movements are wonderful, however.  They feature beautiful cello solos, particularly the trio (middle part) of the minuet (3rd mvt).   And the last movement is one of Haydn's very best.  From about the middle point on, this short movement moves likes the dickens with tons of counterpoint.    

I will continue this series soon.  In the next installation, I will include a brief summary of sonata-allegro form, which is used in all of Haydn's opening movements (as in all "classical" symphonies) and often in other movements as well.

The "High Classical Style"

The masters of the Viennese Classical school (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert) often have a quality to their music which has always spoken deeply to me.   It's an unfolding of melody, a skeletal structure of progressing pitch and rhythm produced by developing a simple theme or two, that carries us along on a seemingly effortless river of thought-in-sound.

Of course we know from Beethoven's extensive sketches and from Mozart's letters that these works were often produced with great effort.  Here is one simple and enjoyable exercise that can help us to appreciate this.

Play a recording of a famous symphony (I have some suggestions below) and then hit pause somewhere, perhaps after a phrase seems to complete.   Then try to guess what the music is going to do next by singing in your mind an imaginary phrase, an "aural-ization" of the direction the music might go.   Often, unless we try really hard, we simply imagine the phrase we already heard being repeated.  

Then hit play.   The music may repeat for a moment, or not, but it's off in a direction that makes us think "Of course that's what it does!   What else could it have possible done?  What didn't I think of that?"

Great examples of this are the expositions of the first movements of Mozart's Symphony #40 in G minor or Beethoven's Symphony #5 in C minor.  Or the opening movements of Mozart's "Dissonance" Quartet (No. 19) or Haydn's  "Fifths" Quartet (Op. 76 No. 2).

Or Haydn's last symphony - #104 in D Major nicknamed the "London" Symphony.

I absolutely love this quote from "The Enjoyment of Music" by Joseph Machlis with Kristine Forney, speaking of the first movement of this piece.

"The movement proper, an Allegro in sonata form, is launched by an irresistible tune that has all the energy and verve of Haydn's mature style.  This theme and those that follow are shaped out of a few basic intervals in such a way that, despite the variety of the ideas, they all hang together.  There results the effortless continuity, the miraculous sense of rightness and inevitability that constitutes the essence of the high Classical style."

Listen! The Minuet of Haydn's String Quartet in D Minor Opus 76, No. 2 "The Fifths"

I have been listening to string quartets constantly for the last couple of months.  Consisting of two violins, a viola, and a cello, it has always been one of my very favorite ensembles.   A quartet is capable of a wide expressive range but with an intimacy that has brought out the best in many of the Western classical tradition's greatest composers.

It has also been a very standard chamber ensemble for centuries, so there is a wealth of literature for this grouping.  Quartets are still very popular today, and since it is wedding season, I am performing in that context a lot these days!    Which is great!

The quartet was not invented by Franz Joseph Haydn, but he is surely the composer who, through his prolific writing for the ensemble in the second half of the 18th century, turned it into the staple it became for subsequent Classical, Romantic and modern composers.

The string quartet form typically mirrors that of the symphony.  It is in four movements with the opening movement in sonata allegro form.  The second movement is slow, often a theme and variations.  The third movement is a minuet and trio, and the last movement is lively, perhaps a rondo.

I am definitely a first movement kind of guy.  Give me the meat of the piece's aesthetic in sonata-allegro form.  Give me themes and development.  Yeah!

But second movements can often be the heart and soul of a quartet as well.  And fourth movements are often an excuse to write exciting, virtuosic parts.

It is the third movement that I am usually the least excited to hear.  A minuet is a dance in three with lots of repeats.   It is often a bit of....relaxation in an otherwise intense piece.  It can be a break, albeit a pretty break, in the action.  Frankly, it can be a bit boring compared to the other movements - particularly in the works of the Classical composers.

But not always!

I encourage you to check out Haydn's String Quartet in D Minor, the second in a collection of six quartets that make up his Opus No. 76.  These are some of the last quartets he wrote, and the entire quartet is fantastic.  It is nicknamed "The Fifths" because the opening theme begins with a descending fifth (an interval covering five notes in the scale) which is then sequenced (repeated at a different pitch level) a fourth down. This opening movement is one of my favorites, but it is actually the third movement that I have listened to the most!  

It is in the typical minuet and trio form, but the minuet portion is written in strict canon.  The two violins begin the movement with a D minor melody played in octaves.  Then the viola and cello entire one measure later (three counts) with the exact same melody.   Both groups play the same notes (at different octaves), but one measure apart!   As you might guess, this is difficult to achieve.  The melody must be carefully constructed so that each measure harmonizes with the previous measure, and it must do so while maintaining its melodic integrity.

I encourage you to check out a recording of this piece.  Hooray for a truly exciting minuet!   Haydn was definitely the man.

The Art of Melody

Paul McCartney is often described as a great melody writer.  I love Paul's work, but to me he is more of a great hook writer.   I would define a hook as a short phrase, usually repeated several times, that tends to stick with you, making you want to sing along.  Hooks are wonderful things, but I don't really think of them as being proper melodies, although they are certainly in the same family.  

A melody is a combination of rhythm and pitch that seeks to be memorable and yet fresh.  A good melody involves repetition and variation.  It is, as Paul Simon once described music he likes and tries to make, like driving home a different way.  There is surprise and also familiarity.  I also believe that a good melody is something that unfolds over a few bars.  A hook, or melodic hook, might fill a bar or two, and this is an art form unto itself, but a melody needs some distance to twist and turn a little bit.  It needs room to accomplish its goals.

I suppose my definition of melody might be what some people think of as a theme.   Something that stands on its own apart from lyrics, although of course it should work with lyrics too in the context of a song.   Also, I think a great theme/melody should even work divorced from its harmonic setting - although this of vital importance to the aggregate music, of course.   But we can still analyze it at its bare bones, and too often writers rely on the tried-and-true technique of presenting a repeated melody line over a different chord (I know I have!).   The most basic example of this would be a traditional blues song.  Once again, it doesn't mean it's not a great song, but I am focusing on melody here.

Schubert is regarded as one of the great melodists of Western civilization.  I think his reputation is well-deserved.   Listen to one of his first great songs "Gretchen Am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel)".   Over a piano setting which evokes a spinning wheel, the soprano gives us a lovely melody, unfolding over a few bars reaching a high point.   Then as the melody seems set to repeat, the music quickly goes into a new direction.  A minute or so in, the original melody returns.  Great stuff.

That said, Schubert's B theme to the opening movement of the "Unfinished" Symphony is a celebrated melody that I do not find all that compelling.   The opening interval of a downward moving fourth is repeated once too often for me.    But it's still a great symphony!

I recently read a criticism of the second movement of Haydn's "Emperor" string quartet.  The central complaint was that the movement, which is a theme and variations, does little with the variations except pass the theme around between the quartet members.  Haydn does not do all the traditional alterations, presenting fragments of the theme in augmentation or diminution, changing tempos, keys, etc.   But it doesn't bother me.  I think he knew he had a great melody and he simply altered the arrangement each time it is played.  The sustained D in the cello in the last presentation of the theme, which then rises up leading into the high point of the melody, is one of the most sublime moments in any piece I know.

Talk about an extended melody, listen to the opening of Anton Bruckner's 7th symphony.  The cellos, through a mist of tremelo strings, give us a beautiful, unfolding melody, full of ups and downs, unexpected turns and hooks to stick in our ears.  The entire melody takes about a minute to play - many Beatles songs would be almost half over in that time!   Of course this is comparing apples and oranges.  Popular song serves a different purpose than the broad symphonic writing of the late Romantic period.  But still, I love a melody that takes a minute to play without repetition, yet still achieves structural integrity.  It's pretty breathtaking.

But that isn't to say that popular songs cannot have wonderful melodies.

Let's give Paul McCartney some well-deserved credit.  My favorite Beatles song is "Martha My Dear", a tune he wrote for his beloved sheep dog.  And it is a great melody.  What really makes it, is that the second bar of the tune is a 5/4 measure.  And the entire melody spans an asymmetric 7 bars - just like another excellent melody of his - "Yesterday."     When the horns present the main tune of "Martha" with hand claps.....well that is a sublime moment for me.

Paul Simon is a great, great American songwriter.    Despite his focus on rhythm and texture over the last several decades, which has produced lots of great stuff, some of his melodies from the 60's and 70's are wonderful.  "Bridge Over Trouble Water" is a long, unfolding melody.  "Still Crazy After All These Years" is a great melody which covers a lot of range and harmonic complexity.   Incidentally, Simon was studying theory when he wrote that song and derived the bridge by using the remaining tones he had not yet used in the 12 tone scale.  He also used a key change in the middle of the last verse - right before the line "I would not be convicted by a jury of my peers" - a super clever way to achieve the intensity of a rising chord change while avoiding the cliche of doing it before the beginning of the last verse!

A more recent group that really caught my attention is Belle And Sebastian.  I had heard some of their work, but when I first listened to the tune "Stars of Track and Field" I knew that Stuart Murdoch was a different kind of songwriter.  It's a long melody, reminiscent of the great bossa nova composer Antonio Carlos Jobim - whose tune "Desfinado (Out Of Tune) is another beautiful melody.   This particular tune by Belle and Sebastian uses a lot of sequences.   This is the presentation of the same melodic content at a different pitch level.  Think of Bach's Minuet in G.   The first two measures are followed by a sequence of the same melodic content at a higher pitch level.  It's a great technique to catch a listener's ear and give  a phrase a unity of structure.   


A few other great melodies by Belle and Sebastian (off the top of my head) are "The Model", "I'm Waking Up To Us",  and "My Wandering Days Are Over" - when the trumpet presents the melody over a background of violin double-stops, another sublime moment!

Tunes like Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" and George Shearing's "Lullaby of Birdland" remind us of the pre-rock 'n roll focus on melody.   I think the swing era may be one of the greatest triumphs of the twentieth century in combining complexity and richness of writing and performing with popular appeal.  The golden era of American popular song produced and wealth of wonderful melodies.    And the be-bop era took melodic writing to a new level of complexity, but artists such as Charlie Parker always sought to hook the listener's ear.   Check out the opening of "Ornithology" among so many others....and listen for sequences! 

What are some of your favorite melodies?