Über die späten Streichquartetten von Beethoven

Die Streichquartetten in Beethovens späten Leben sind die schwierigsten und problematischsten seiner Quartette. Man spiele oder höre diese Quartetten eher um seinen psychischen Zustand in diesem Lebensstadium zu verstehen. Denn diese Quartetten offenbaren seine geistige Behinderungen, die sehr sorgfältig zu behandeln sind. Und immerhin ist wie bei anderen Kunstwerke eine künstlerische Einspielung wünschenwert, nicht einfach nur eine Aufnahme von lauter Geschreien der Instrumenten.

String instruments in different tunings

The standard tunings of the string instruments are:

• Violin: g, d’, a’, e”.
• Viola: c, g, d’, a’.
• Violoncello: C, G, d, a.
• Contrabass: EE, AA, D, G.

And those of the viols:

• Treble: d, g, c’, e’, a’, d’.
• Tenor: G, c, f, a, d’, g’.
• Bass: D, G, c, e, a, d’.

There are also other rarely met tunings of these instruments:

• Violin piccolo: tuned in b-flat, f’, c”, g” (one minor third higher than the normal violin) or c’, g’, d”, a” (one fourth higher than the normal violin, one octave higher than the viola, two octaves higher than the violoncello). The violin piccolo is treated as a transposed instrument (sounding one minor third higher or one fourth higher than written).
• Violoncello piccolo: 5 strings tuned in C, G, d, a, e”.
• Contrabass: some with a 5th string tuned in CC or BBB to extend the range of the instrument down to CC or BBB. Some other are tuned in CC, GG, D, A (one octave lower than the violoncello).
• Violin or violoncello scordature: one or several string(s) of the instrument is/are tuned different from the normal tuning. In the ‘Griffsnotation’ (fingering notation) the notes to be played on the different tuned strings are treated as notes for a transposing instrument while the notes played on the other strings are not transposed. In the ‘Klangsnotation’ (sound notation) the notes are written according to the attitude of the sounded tones, i.e. they are not transposed – notes to be played on the different tuned strings are of course not played as same as on an instrument with standard tuning.
• Bass viol: some also have an extra string in AA.
• The scordature is also met with the viols.

Notation of accidentals in music

Accidentals are notes which are the chromatic alternatives of the usual notes in a piece and which appear only temporarily. To indicate an accidental, an accidental sign (sharp sign which looks like #, flat sign which looks like b, natural sign which looks like ╘╕, occasionally double sharp sign which looks like ×, double flat sign which looks like bb) is notated before the note. For example a sharp sign # before an A note indicates that the note to be played is A-sharp.

An accidental sign is valid until the end of the bar/measure where the accidental is notated in and is valid on the notes with the same name on all octaves of the instrument, if there is no other accidental sign on the same note(s). In the example, until the end of the bar/measure, all A notes on any octave will be read as A-sharp without notating the # sign again. It is usual to notate the notes with the same name on the other octaves with the accidental sign also to clearly indicate this (in the example, a # sign is also written before the A(-sharp) one octave higher or lower etc.). To reset sharp or flat notes to natural notes in the same bar/measure, the natural sign ╘╕ is notated before the note. It is also valid until the end of the bar/measure and on all octaves.

From the next bar/measure, the default is that usual notes are played again. If the accidental was not reset in the preceding bar, the first reset note in the next bar is often notated with the default sign also to clearly indicate this (in the example, the first A-natural in the next bar is also written with a ╘╕ sign). If the same accidental appears again, the accidental sign must be notated as normal (in the example, the first A-sharp in the next bar also has to be notated with a # sign).

If the piece is in a tonality/a key with sharps or flats, i.e. there is a signature at the beginning of the staff, some notes are in default sharp or flat, as indicated in the signature. Then when the natural notes is used, the ╘╕ sign must be notated as other accidental signs. The reset sign is the same as the sign in the signature. For example, in a piece in A major, which has F-sharp, C-sharp and G-sharp in the signature, if the G-natural is used, the ╘╕sign must be notated. After this, to reset to the default G-sharp the # sign is notated.

For the cases when after an accidental there is another accidental, notating the respective accidental sign is enough. However sometimes the natural sign is also notated, as in these cases: a flat note after a sharp note is notated with b╘╕ (or ╘╕b), a sharp note after a flat note is notated with #╘╕ (or ╘╕#), a flat note after a double flat note is notated with b╘╕ (or ╘╕b), a sharp note after a double sharp note with #╘╕ (or ╘╕#) and so on, although these are complicated and rarely met.

In some former notation practices, an accidental sign or a reset sign is only valid for the same notes of the same octave (until the end of the bar/measure) only, which means the accidental sign or the reset sign must be also notated for the notes with the same name on other octaves. Sometimes, also the # or b signs in the signature are also notated on some different octaves, but this is not meaningful because notes on other octaves than these can also appear (notes on auxiliary lines). In some other notation practices, the accidental sign is only valid once for the note it is notated with, which means all accidentals must be written with an accidental sign, otherwise they are natural or default notes, even in the same bar/measure. To indicate a double sharp of a sharp note in the signature or a double flat of a flat note in the signature, in some notation practices, only a # sign (instead of × sign) or a b sign (instead of bb sign) is notated, which may be confusing in reading.

A typical character of Handel’s orchestral works

The violas disappear! Either there are no violas, or they play in octave with the bass or only some extra notes in the ensemble.

Examples of suites

• Consort, Consort suite, Fantasia suite
  • William Lawes
    • Royal consort for 2 theorbos in D major: beginning with fantasia & air and with dances
    • Royal consort suite for 2 theorbos in D minor: beginning with fantasia & air and with dances
  • John Coprario
    • Fantasia suite for 2 viols: Fantasia – Alman (Allemande) – Galliard
• Introduzzione
  • Georg Philipp Telemann
    • Introduzzione a tre for 2 recorders & orchestra TWV 42:C1 [from 'Der getreue Musikmeister']: beginning with an ouverture, other movements with their own name.
• Ordre (Order)
  • François Couperin
    • 27 Ordres for harpsichord: with dances or movements with their own name.
• Ouverture
  • Jean-Marie Leclair
    • Deuxieme recreation de musique d’une execution facile Op. 8 for 2 flutes & continuo: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • 3 Ouvertures for 2 violins & continuo from Op. 13: beginning with an ouverture, with sonata-like movements.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
    • French ouverture for harpsichord BWV 831: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • 4 Ouvertures for orchestra BWV 1066-1069: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
  • Georg Friedrich Händel (George Frideric Handel)
    • Ouverture ‘Fitzwilliam’ for 2 clarinets & horn HWV 424: beginning with an ouverture, with sonata-like movements.
    • ‘The Alchymist’ (incidental suite for orchestra) HWV 43: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • Some other suites, sonatas, concertos also begin with an ouverture.
  • Georg Philipp Telemann
    • Ouverture for 2 flutes & orchestra TWV 55:e1 [from Tafelmusik Book 1]: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • Ouverture for viol & orchestra TWV 55:D6: beginning with an ouverture, with dances.
    • Suite for recorder & orchestra TWV 55:a2: beginning with an ouverture, with dances. It is named as a suite, but is also an ouverture.
    • Suite for oboe & continuo TWV 41:g4: beginning with an ouverture, with dances. It is named as a suite, but is also an ouverture.
• Partita
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
    • 6 Partitas for harpsichord BWV 825-830: beginning with an opening movement (praeludium, sinfonia, fantasia, ouverture, praeambulum, toccata), with dances including allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue (or a similar piece).
    • 3 Partitas for violin solo BWV 1004-1006: with dances. Only one includes all of the dances allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
    • Partita for flute solo BWV 1013: Allemande – Courante – Sarabande – Bourée Anglaise
• Pièces de clavecin (Pièces de clavessin, Suite des pièces de clavecin)
  • Jacques Duphly
    • Pièces de clavecin Book 1
  • Jean Philippe Rameau
    • From Pièces de clavessin (1724), suite for harpsichord in D minor: movements with their own name.
    • From Pièces de clavessin (1724), suite for harpsichord in E minor: with dances.
    • From Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin (ca. 1728), suite for harpsichord in A minor: with dances.
    • From Nouvelles Suites de Pièces de Clavecin (ca. 1728), suite for harpsichord in G minor: movements with their own name.
    • 5 Concert en Pièces de Clavecin for harpsichord, violin & viol: with dances or movements with their own name.
• Set(t), Consort set(t)
  • William Lawes
    • Sett no. 1 for 2 violins & continuo: Fantasia – Alman (allemande) – Galliard.
    • Consort set in A minor for 5 viols: Fantazy (fantasia, fantasy) – Fantazy – Aire (air, aria).
    • Consort sett in C major for 5 viols: Fantazy – Paven (pavan) – Aire.
    • Consort sett for 2 theorbos in G minor: Paven – Aire – Aire.
    • Pieces for 2 lutes: Alman – Corant – Corant (courante).
• Suite
  • Christopher Simpson
    • Suite for 2 violins & continuo in D major: Pavan – Almaine (allemande) – Courante – Air – Courante – Air.
  • Matthew Locke
    • Suite for 2 violins & continuo in D minor: Pavan – Ayre (air) – Courante – Saraband(e).
  • Johann Hermann Schein
    • Suite no. 6 & no. 16 for recorders (with continuo): Padouana (pavan) – Gagliarda (galliard, gaillarde) – Courente (courante) – Allemande – Tripla.
  • Matthias Weckmann, Dietrich Buxtehude
    • Suites for keyboard: with dances allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
  • Johann Jakob Froberger
    • Suites for keyboard: Some with dances in the order allemande, gigue, courante and sarabande. Some in the order allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue. Some not with all these but other pieces.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
    • 6 English suites for harpsichord BWV 806-811: beginning with a prelude, with dances including allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
    • 6 French suites for harpsichord BWV 812-817: with dances including allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
    • 6 Suites for violoncello solo BWV 1007-1012: beginning with a prelude, with dances including allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
    • Other suites for harpsichord, lute or orchestra.
  • Georg Friedrich Händel (George Friderich Handel)
    • Water Music suites HWV 348 – 350 (and some others): with dances and sonata- or concerto-like movements.
    • Suites for harpsichord: with dances and sonata- or concerto-like movements.
  • Georg Philipp Telemann
    • 2 Suites for harpsichord from the Essercizii musici: beginning with a prelude-like or sonata-like movement, with dances.
    • 2 Suites for flute, violin, violoncello & continuo from the 12 Paris quartets: beginning with a prelude, with dances.

Some notes:

• In Great Britain of the early 17th century, the names Set(t), Consort set(t) were used for a smaller type of suite while the names Consort, Consort Suite, Fantasia Suite were used for a rather bigger type of suite. Frequently met movements are Fantasia, Air, Pavan, Galliard (which came from the Renaissance).
• In France of the 17th and 18th centuries, the title Pièces de Clavecin or Pièces de Clavessin was used for a collection of suites with harpsichord. François Couperin called his suites for harpsichord Ordre. The suites were often consisted of dances or movements with a subject. The Ouverture was a type of suite with an (French-style) ouverture as the opening movement. This form was also adapted by the later German composers. The movements of an ouverture suite do not necessary have to be dances, as in some compositions of Jean-Marie Leclair.
• In Germany of the early 17th century, the suites also often contained movements like Air, Pavan & Galliard which came from the Renaissance.
• Composers of the North German Organ School in the 17th century composed the suites with the 4 main dances Allemande, Courante, Sarabande & Gigue. This kind of suite is also adapted by the later Johann Sebastian Bach. J.S. Bach also composed suites in forms of Partita or Ouverture which did not necessary have to include all of these 4 dances.
• Other 18th century German composers such as Georg Philipp Telemann and Georg Friedrich Händel composed suites with dances of various kinds. Händel also composed suites or ouvertures with movements like sonata or concerto movements, and vice versa also sonatas and concertos with an ouverture or suite movements. Telemann used the name Introduzzione for some of his ouverture suites.

Problem of the day

It is too bad and too weak to explain arpeggios in term of parts.

Kritik des Tages

Es scheint, als ob Händel die Suiten HWV 426-433 komponiert hätte, ohne genau zu wissen, was eine Suite ist. Oder vielleicht dachte er, eine Suite sei eine Sammlung von diversen Stücken.

A style study of the 8 Suites for harpsichord by G.F. Handel (HWV 426-433)

• Suite [no. 1] in A major HWV 426
  1. Prelude
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Gigue [no Sarabande]
• Suite [no. 2] in F major HWV 427
  1. Adagio: in the style of an aria, or a slow concerto movement without bass.
  2. Allegro: in the style of a sonata movement for a melody instrument and bass (basso continuo).
  3. Adagio: likely a sarabande.
  4. Allegro: a fugue with 4 parts.
• Suite [no. 3] in D minor HWV 428
  1. Prelude
  2. Allegro: a fugue with 3 or 4 parts.
  3. Allemande
  4. Courante
  5. Air with 5 Doubles (i.e. variations)
  6. Presto: arrangement of the last movement of the Concerto for organ & orchestra in D minor Op. 7 no. 4 HWV 309. [no Sarabande and Gigue]
• Suite [no. 4] in E minor HWV 429
  1. Allegro: a fugue for 3 or 4 parts which also appears (transposed) as the last movement of the Trio Sonata for 2 violins & basso continuo in G minor HWV 400.
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Sarabande
  5. Gigue
• Suite [no. 5] in E major HWV 430
  1. Prelude
  2. Allemande
  3. Courante
  4. Air with 5 Doubles (variations) [no Sarabande and Gigue]
• Suite [no. 6] in F-sharp minor HWV 431
  1. Prelude
  2. Largo: in the style of a sarabande. [no Allemande and Courante]
  3. Allegro: a double fugue or alla breve for an undefined number of parts, mostly 3 parts.
  4. Gigue
• Suite [no. 7] in G minor HWV 432
  1. Ouverture: the 2nd section is for 3 or 4 parts.
  2. Andante: a duo à la Invention for 2 parts by J.S. Bach or a sonata movement for a melody instrument and basso continuo.
  3. Allegro: also a duo à la Invention for 2 parts by J.S. Bach or a sonata movement for a melody instrument and basso continuo.
  4. Sarabande [no Allemande and Courante]
  5. Gigue
  6. Passacaille
• Suite [no. 8] in F minor HWV 433
  1. Prelude
  2. Allegro: a fugue or alla breve with an undefined number of parts, possibly 3 or 4.
  3. Allemande
  4. Courante
  5. Gigue [no Sarabande]

Some comments:

• With the exceptions of the suites no. 2 and no. 4, all the suites have an opening movement such as prelude or ouverture.
• Only the suite no. 4 has all the 4 standard movements of a suite (Allemande, Courante, Sarabande & Gigue). The suites no. 1 and no. 8 do not have the sarabande, the suites no. 6 and no. 7 lack the first two dances (Allemande & Courante) and the suites no. 3 & no. 5 lack the last two (Sarabande & Gigue). However there were also some other composers who composed suites not with all these dances or with the dances in another order or with many other dances or with sonata movements.
• The suite no. 2 is mostly a sonata (with a concerto-like movement) rather than a suite. Other suites also have movements like sonata movements, which make them like both a suite and a sonata, or a chamber sonata (sonata da camera).
• Many suites have a fugue or an alla breve as a movement: Suite no. 2 (last movement), no. 3 (2nd movement, after the Prelude), no. 4 (1st movement), no. 6 (2nd last movement, before the Gigue) and no. 8 (2nd movement, after the Prelude). Again this makes the suites similiar to a sonata da chiesa (church sonata) or to a composition with a couple of prelude and fugue.
• Many suites have a variation movement, which is called either Air (aria) & Doubles (for the variations) or Passacaille: Suite no. 3 (Air & Doubles), no. 5 (Air & Doubles as last movement, after the Gigue) & no. 7 (Passacaille as last movement, after the Gigue).

Tagesgedanke

Zerrissene Melodielinien in einer imitations- oder kontrastkontrapunktischen Satz ist eine Schwachheit.

Types of arpeggios

Arpeggio is a playing manner of keyboard and plucked instruments in which the tones of a chord are played after each other, or in other words, they are spread from a chord. There are several types of arpeggio which may be seen.

The most often met arpeggio is the harmonic arpeggio, where the accord notes are played simply shortly after each other. The chord is completed before the next chord or tones.

In the melodic arpeggio, movements of the tones in an accord are also drawn in, so that the connections between one chord and the next chord or the next melody lines are pointed out. The chords (or melodies in between) succeed each other intermediately.

With the ornamental arpeggio, ornaments are also integrated into the chords. Often the chords also succeed each other intermediately.

The rhythmic arpeggio sets the tones of a chord into a rhythm so that the rhythm and the harmony (to some extend also the melody connections) are combined.