Adagio and Fugue in c minor, K. 546

Mozart's exposure to the mastery of Bach was the result of musical encounters with Baron van Swieten in Vienna; the Baron gave the young Wolfgang all the works of Handel and Bach after the ingenue had performed them during his Sunday visits. Alfred Einstein noted that Mozart's study of Bach's fugues became evident in several major compositions, namely the Requiem and the "Jupiter Symphony".

The fugue was originally composed for two pianos in December 1783 (K. 426) and was subsequently arranged for strings in June 1788 with a 52-measure Adagio serving as an introduction. The manuscript suggests that the new arrangement was for string orchestra but in the publication the Contrabassiwere ignored; thus the work has come to be performed both by string quartets and string orchestras. The Adagio is dramatic with a strong dotted-rhythmic theme followed by a contrasting lyric motive... lilting and graceful. The ensuing fugue is still strongly rhythmic but bears the Mozart's unique chromaticism as it becomes the subject of inversion and wonderful variation.

String Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4

The buoyant good humor of Haydn's Fourth Quartet has made it a favorite of audiences and performers alike. The Allegro di molto begins with a deceptively mild phrase in which is heard the rhythmic motto which will permeate this movement, three shorts followed by a long. This peaceful opening leads to a sudden outburst of high spirits, featuring abrupt changes and quick flights of fancy. Twice there are false returns before the true recapitulation is heard.

Un poco adagio affettuoso consists of a theme, three variations, a restatement of the theme, and a coda. This is the emotional center of the quartet. The "affettuoso" theme (tender, affectionate) achieves its effect with diminished intervals, and a drooping melodic outline. Haydn's attraction to the Gypsy music of neighboring Hungary is demonstrated in the Menuetto alla zingarese. Its nervous energy is created by sudden off-center accents that create overlapping shifts of meter from three to two.

The Presto scherzando is a marvel of sparkle and wit. The opening is hushed, a sotto voce tiptoeing, soon interrupted by strong march-like unisons. Along the way are heard quick contrapuntal exchanges and a bit of country fiddling, recalling country dances. At the end the music fades away, as though the audience were leaving a scene of gaiety.

--R. Vaught

String Quartet in E flat major, Op. 127

By 1822 Beethoven had completed the last of his 32 piano sonatas, and by 1824 his last symphony, the mighty Ninth. Now he turned to a genre he had not cultivated for 14 years, the string quartet. With an astonishing burst of creative energy, in four years he produced his last five quartets in a style which vastly expanded the limits of the form. Op. 127 is the first of three quartets commissioned by and dedicated to Prince Nicholas Galitzin, a wealthy Russian amateur cellist. It was completed in 1824 and first performed in 1825.

The Maestoso heard at the beginning of the first movement not only functions as an introduction to the Allegro, but returns twice to mark significant structural points and the entrance of new tonal centers. Each return is preceded by rhetorical flourishes which interrupt the rhythmic flow and prepare for the solemn phrases of the Maestoso. The principal theme of the Allegro is a lyrical, sinuous, descending melody which is immediately the subject of continuous variation in all parts, creating a contrapuntal web of four independent voices. The rhetorical gesture returns one final time to introduce the coda which gradually fades into a gentle pianissimo ending.

The Adagio is in the form of a theme with five variations. The theme is leisurely and calm, rising and soaring, against an undulating background. The variations span a wide band of expression, ranging from a gentle weaving of melodies to urgent, pushing faster sections. The cumulative effect is one of exalted contemplation.

After four abrupt pizzicato chords the theme of the Scherzando vivace is announced in the cello. Its single idea consists of four notes in a dotted rhythm followed by a trill. Twice the insistent flow of this galloping rhythm is interrupted by a mysterious passage for the viola and cello whose empty octaves suggest a recitative. A central Presto serves as a Trio for this movement. Ghostly whisperings alternating with sudden fortissimo outbursts lead to a return of the principal section. A brief coda unites both ideas and ends abruptly.

The Finale carries no tempo marking but traditionally is played Allegro. It begins with a short "announcement" in octaves, leading immediately to a brief phrase which turns upon itself repeatedly and serves as a motto, reappearing in all sections. Contrast is achieved by a march-like second theme but the general mood is genial and interest is maintained by intense contrapuntal activity. The coda is marked by soft trills and scampering runs surrounding the motto theme.

--R. Vaught