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This is a fun and educational web page for people interested in learning more about classical music.  This particular music lesson focuses on Haydn's String Quartet in C Major. I hope you find my site enjoyable.

Created by Amy Thomas
 

String Quartet in C Major, op. 76, no. 3, movement 2: Poco adagio, cantabile

Photo courtesy of: http://albie.wcupa.edu/schmus.mue/515/menu4.htm

During this lesson you will learn about a string quartet by Franz Joseph Haydn.  You should begin this lesson by listening to Haydn's String Quartet in C Major, no. 3, movement 2: Poco adagio, cantabile.  As you listen to the piece, follow along with the call chart located below this paragraph.  During the first section, Haydn states the main theme.  Listen for the three main sections of the theme: A, B, and C.  After the first statement of the theme, there are four variations of this melody.  Each instrument of the string quartet is given an opportunity to play the theme.  Listen for the consistent pattern found in the piece. Look at the notation of the main theme, which is located below the call chart.  After you are comfortable with the structure of the piece, follow along with the theme during each variation.  The remaining of this music lesson will provide you with more interesting facts about the musical elements and history of this work by Haydn.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.string-quartet.com/Woodvale-medium

For this lesson you will need a CD.  The CD  is from the Norton Recorded Anthology of Music.

Volume 2, CD 8

 

Listen to Haydn's string quartet by clicking below.  You can follow along using the music located below the call chart.  After listening to the entire piece, you can listen to specific sections from the string quartet by clicking on the letters and sections in the call chart.  Click on the same letter in all variations to hear the similarities and differences in each variation.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO: String Quartet in C Major, op. 76, no. 3, movement 2: Poco adagio, cantabile

Call Chart

The main theme of Haydn’s string quartet involves simple rhythms. When you first hear the theme in the opening of the piece, all of the instruments are mostly playing the same rhythms. Simple Rhythm
 

As the piece progresses and we listen to Haydn’s variations on the theme, we hear more complicated rhythms. For example, in Variation 1 the second violin plays the theme from the beginning while the first violin plays a pattern of steady sixteenth notes. This greatly contrasts with the rhythm of the first section.  More Complicated Rhythm
 

The first, second, and third variations on the main theme contain more complex rhythms, including faster notes and syncopation. Haydn embellishes on the main theme by allowing the instruments that are not playing the theme to perform more interesting rhythms. The rhythmic changes in each variation create motion and energy in the piece. In the fourth variation, the rhythms more closely resemble the rhythms from the opening section. There are not as many contrasting rhythms between different instruments in this section. The movement is in cut time.
 
 

Melody is an important aspect of this string quartet. The melody is based on the Austrian national hymn that Haydn had just written. The melody is stated in the opening section by the first violin. Listen again to this melody.  Each variation features a single instrument that plays the theme. Each instrument has an opportunity to play the melody throughout the movement. It is easy to hear the melody during each variation because Haydn does not make any changes to the melody line during the song. The melody stays constant and the variations occur in the other instrument parts.

The melody has 3 parts, a, b, and c. The form of the melody line is AABCC. The first and last parts of the melody are repeated each time that it is played. This is an example of balance, which is an important aspect of the Classical period. The melody has a balanced phrase structure.

Each part of the melody (a, b, and c) contains an antecedent and consequent. The antecedent is similar to a question and the consequent is the answer. Each part of the melody (a, b, or c) is a four bar phrase.

Haydn’s melody is easy to sing and is very recognizable. The melody line seems to flow like a landscape of rolling hills; it has a constant rise and fall contour. This string quartet is widely known for its charming, memorable, and emotional melodic line.
 
 

The opening section states the theme homophonically. Homophonic means that all parts are playing the same rhythms, which causes the music to sound chordal. The harmonies in the opening section are very consonant and resemble the sound of a church hymn. The harmonic structure primarily uses the tonic and dominant chords for cadences.

The harmonies become more interesting and complex with each variation. The first variation is a duet between the violins. Harmony is created in this variation from the running sixteenth notes in the first violin part. All of the other variations are in four part harmony.

You can often hear dissonance in the variations. Since Haydn wrote an important part for each instrument in the quartet, the music does not always sound consonant.  Consonant music is very pleasing to listen to.  Dissonant music may sound fuzzy or unclear.  This is an example of artwork that looks slightly dissonant to the human eye.

There are many non harmonic tones in the variations, such as suspensions and appogiaturas. The dissonance creates a feeling of tension. Haydn also creates a feeling of tension by using chromaticism to create dissonance. Chromaticism is when the music moves in half steps.

All of the piece in in major, except for the final variation which is in minor.
 
 

The form of this string quartet is very symmetrical, organized, and balanced. The theme is stated in a straightforward manner throughout the piece. The main theme has three parts, which are labeled a, b, and c. Throughout all variations, the main theme is stated in the pattern aabcc. The original theme does not change with each variation. Instead, Haydn changes the counterpoint that supports the melody. The string quartet is written in theme and variation form. The theme is stated in the opening section and each variation embellishes on the initial theme through ornamentation, syncopation, and chromaticism. This piece is an example of a theme and variations form that was created by altering the harmony, not the melody. All variations are in 4 part harmony, except for variation 1, which is a duet between violin 1 and 2.

In a theme and variations piece, the composer develops a primary theme and then alters it in the variations. In this example, the melody itself was not altered, yet instead the other parts around the melody were changed.  In a theme and variations piece, the composer can also change the theme in the variation sections.
 
 

The string quartet consists of 2 violins, a viola, and a cello. All instruments have equal importance in the ensemble. The melody line is very emotional in this piece. During each variation, a single instrument plays the melody. This movement is labeled "Poco adagio, cantabile". Poco adagio means that the piece should be played slightly slowly. Cantabile means to perform the piece in a singing style, which is an appropriate marking when considering the emotional qualities of the melody line. The first variation is the least cantabile part of the piece. The violin 1 plays a short and staccato part, which opposes the smooth melody of the violin 2. The dynamic level climaxes in the final variation, which is played forte.
 
 

Franz Joseph Haydn composed this melody as a birthday hymn for Kasier Franz Joseph I of Austria on the text Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (God Preserve the Emperor Francis). Haydn’s melody first became the national anthem of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now the German national anthem. Opus 76, number 3 is often known as the Emperor's quartet.

A string quartet is made up of 2 violins, a viola, and a cello all working together as if they were one musical instrument. Good string quartets spend hours a day practicing to make the tone of their instruments blend well with each other. The term string quartet actually refers to both a type of composition and the group that plays it. String quartets were written for musical scholars and knowledgeable listeners, whereas symphonies were written for larger, less sophisticated audiences. This is a picture of a string quartet.

Franz Joseph Haydn is considered the father of the string quartet. He was born on March 31, 1732 as the second of 12 children. As a child, he became a choirboy in Hainburg because of his beautiful voice. Haydn was later employed by Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy and was hired to write music for him. He was isolated from much of society during this job, which made him experiment with forms and styles that often contrasted from other composers of the time. About half of his symphonies were written for the prince. This is a picture of Esterhazy Castle, which is where he wrote much of his music.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.castles.org/castles/Europe/Central_Europe/Austria/austria6.htm

He composed more than 100 symphonies, which became a model for many other compositions of that genre. His works are examples of the classic symphony.

It is largely due to Haydn that the string quartet became a major genre of the Classic era. He wrote 68 quartets from 1757 to 1803. Haydn’s early quartets were written in the galant style, which means that one instrument dominates the group with the melody. This type of writing corresponds to a rock group, in which the violin would be the lead singer and the other instruments would serve as "back-up". Later in this career, Haydn began to write quartets that were more difficult, and featured each instrument of the quartet equally. Before Haydn, the viola did not get a very interesting part and the cello usually played a plodding bass line. Haydn gave all instruments a turn to play the melody. Musical equality of the four instruments is the most important mark of the classic string quartet. His mature classical quartet had four movements: 1.Sonata Allegro, 2.Slow, 3. Minuet, and 4.Fast Rondo. This quartet was written in 1797.
 
 

Many composers of pop music and rock and roll have written parts for string quartets. For example, The Beatles used a string quartet in their hit song, "Yesterday".

The Cranberries did a tour backed by a string quartet in 1996. In Africa, there is a famous quartet called the Soweto String Quartet and they play African Township music. Today, string quartets are often used in weddings and other religious celebrations.

Architecture of the Classic period is very similar to the form of this piece. The form of this string quartet is very symmetrical and balanced. The same is true about many of the buildings of this time period. For example, look at this picture of Esterhazy Castle, which is where Haydn was employed for many years. The building looks very balanced and symmetrical. Everything is carefully planned in classical architecture and music. Balance, organization, and symmetry are important aspects of the classic period. Look at these pictures to see other examples of classic architecture and compare their appearance to the form of Haydn’s string quartet.

Much like the form of Haydn's String Quartet, this building is very symmetrical and balanced.

This picture of the White House in Washington D.C. resembles the form of the main theme in this piece.  There is a center section of the building, and two balanced sections on each side of the center.  Recall the form of the theme and compare it to this building.  They are both very balanced and symmetrical.

The German National Anthem "Lied der Duetschen" uses the music from Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 76, no. 3.  This is the National Anthem of Germany.  The German lyrics are shown.
 
 

The song did not become the official anthem until declared so by President Friedrich Ebert of the Weimar Republic in March 1922. It was an unofficial anthem in the second half of the 19^th century. The song gained popularity during World War I when young German soldiers sang it on the battlefield. The national anthem is also called "Deutschlandlied". The teacher, Heinrich Hoffman Von Fallersleben, wrote the song’s words. The first stanza refers to the old boundaries of Germany (East and West Germany) and so this verse is no longer used. Today the third verse is used as the anthem. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, poets and composers joined to create a unified national anthem. Ironically, the anthems of West and East Germany had similar meter and rhythms, and the words of West Germany's anthem fit perfectly with East Germany's melody. The German national holiday is October 3, which is the day of German unity.