String Quartet (Franck)

The String Quartet in D major is the only string quartet composed by César Franck. The work was written from 1889 to 1890.

Background

The creative life of Franck is broadly divided into three periods. During the first period (1841–1858), when his ambitious father forced him to be active as a virtuoso pianist, Franck wrote works for chamber music, including four piano trios numbered as the composer's Opp. 1 and 2. Franck received advice from Franz Liszt, who commented, about 40 years later, on hearing an organ performance by Franck at Sainte-Clotilde, Paris, "How could I ever forget the composer of those trios?" However, during the second period (1858–1876), when Franck dedicated himself to the organ, he did not compose any notable works for this genre. Franck’s masterpieces, including the Piano Quintet F minor (1879), the Violin Sonata A major (1886), and this quartet, were written in the third period (1876–1890). Since his next chamber work, the second violin sonata, was not finished due to his death in 1890, this string quartet was his last completed chamber work.

Franck started a sketch of this work at the beginning of 1889. He commenced with the first movement, and, through at least three different versions, completed the final version of it on October 29. After quickly finishing the second movement by November 9, he completed the entire work on January 15, 1890. Vincent d'Indy, one of Franck's celebrated pupils, noted that Franck had already considered writing a string quartet as early as the 1870s. It was in the 1870s that the Société Nationale de Musique, which Franck joined as one of the founding members, was established in order to promote the French classical music tradition instead of stage music; it dominated the country's music scene at that time under influential musicians including Jacques Offenbach. Although Franck abandoned his string quartet, he resumed in 1888, and, as d'Indy recalled, he learned the scores of string quartets by Beethoven and Schubert on his piano for intensive study. Many elements of Franck's string quartet are considered to stem from Beethoven's later works, but traces of Beethoven are not superficially visible.

The String Quartet was Franck’s first public success during his life. Franck, known as a late-flowering composer, had attracted little attention from audiences. Even the Symphony D minor and the Prélude, Aria et Final, whose reputation is well established today, were disastrously premiered. However, he never pandered to the French public taste of the day and never ceased pursuing his ideal of music, gradually attracting interest from the public as well as professionals through masterpieces such as his violin sonata. Finally, on 19 April 1890, in the concert of the Société Nationale de Musique at Salle Pleyel, the premiere of this work was received with thunderous applause. This was just seven months before his death.

The score of this work was published in 1892, and the edition by Hamelle, Paris, was widely used in 1906.

Structure

This work consists of four movements, which are tightly united by cyclic form. A complete performance lasts approximately 50 minutes.

First movement

Poco lento - Allegro 4/4 D major

This movement, written in unusual sonata form combined with ternary form, begins with a large introduction. The first violin plays the main theme of the introduction over the harmonic accompaniment of strings (Excerpt 1). This subject will appear in this and later movements as the first cyclic theme. The introduction comprises Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2, which is played quietly in contrast.

A stepwise-falling dotted rhythm, suggested at the very end of the introduction, leads into the main part of sonata form in D minor starting with exposition of first subject (Excerpt 3). Excerpt 4, played by cello during an energetic transition, will play an important role in the finale as the second cyclic theme. Excerpt 4 is also played by violin. The passionate climax is smoothly connected to the exposition of the second subject, in F major, which appeared in dialogue between the first violin and viola (Excerpt 5).

The next climax calms down with a codetta using Excerpt 3, and the exposition part is closed. In the development part, Poco Lento, the viola starts a fugue based on Excerpt 1, followed by second violin, cello, and then first violin. A conventional development of the first subject (Excerpt 3), again Allegro, comes after the emotional end of the fugue. The development also includes Excerpts 4, 5 and many other materials. The reappearance of the first subject in D minor proclaims the opening of the recapitulation, followed by Excerpt 4. The second subject will be shown in B major, but, just four bars later, modulated into D major, which leads the reappearance of the introduction part, Poco Lento, in the same tonality. Echoes of Excerpt 3, following Excerpt 1 and 2, conclude the movement.

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Second movement

Scherzo: Vivace 3/8 F-sharp minor

The second movement is coloured by Mendelssohnian lightness. Impressive ascending repeated notes, as shown in Excerpt 6, open the movement’s F-sharp minor scherzo. Effective frequent tacet insertions are observed here. Another main subject, Excerpt 7, is played by first violin in contrasting fluent manner. The D minor trio, based on Excerpt 8, is also interrupted by whole rests elongated with fermata. In the middle of trio, the cello covertly plays Excerpt 1. Afterwards, Excerpt 6, accompanied with pizzicato, comes back and is soon bridged to Excerpt 7. The movement ends with a quiet pizzicato coda featuring Excerpt 8.

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Third movement

Larghetto 3/4 B major

The structure of the third movement is close to ternary form. The lyrical opening theme, Excerpt 9, is supposed to have originated from Excerpts 1 and 4.

The first part of this movement is in ternary form itself, and Excerpt 9 reappears after the exposition of Excerpt 10. In the second part of this movement, a passionate melody is exhibited by the first violin over the accompaniment of extended arpeggios (Excerpt 11). That melody has already appeared in the middle voice during the exposition of Excerpt 10. Repeated modulation prevents an obvious determination of tonality, though the key signature is C major. After the climax of the middle part, Excerpt 9 is recapitulated in ppp. This third part is not a simple reemerging of the first part; it is rather shortened and it includes elements of the second part in Poco Animato. Finally, Excerpt 10 quietly closes the movement.

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Fourth movement

Finale: Allegro molto 2/2 D major

The finale in extended sonata form. Excerpt 12 begins with a fast unison phrase, then connects the main subjects from the previous movements: Excerpt 9 from third movement, Excerpt 6 from second movement, and Excerpt 1 from first movement. This “summary” is similar to the finale from Beethoven's ninth symphony; Franck himself had used the same method in his organ piece Grande Pièce Symphonique.

After the introduction, the main subjects are exposed. The first subject (Excerpt 13), exposed on viola, is induced from Excerpt 1. Following a brief conclusion with a fragment of Excerpt 12, a series of second subjects appear: Excerpt 14, which is a transformation of Excerpt 4; Excerpt 15, played with rigorous accompaniment of Excerpt 12; and the encouraging Excerpt 16.

In the development, Franck combines the major subjects in counterpoint. Excerpt 1 is added and Excerpt 12 repeatedly appears to change the atmosphere. Although the beginning of the recapitulation is not clear, the second reappearance of the first subject, at approximately 500 bars, is followed by the second subjects. At the end of the recapitulation, Excerpt 6 suddenly emerges from silence. This marks the advent of the coda, where Excerpt 6 dominates in counterpoint with Excerpt 13. At the final climax, Excerpt 9 is sung dramatically in augmentation. Contained emotion after the climax turns into Excerpt 12, in Presto, which rushes into the conclusion.

Notes and references

Notes

References

Sources

• Booklet: CHANDOS, "Franck Piano Trios vol.2", CHAN9742
• Booklet: CHANDOS, "Franck: Les Eolides, Symphonic Variations, Symphony", CHAN9875
• Booklet: Hyperion Records, Fauré & Franck: String Quartets, CDA67664
• Booklet: NAXOS, FRANCK: String Quartet in D Major / Piano Quintet in F Minor, 8.572009
• Score: Franck "String Quartet", Hamelle, Paris, ca. 1892

External links

• String Quartet: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Grimshaw, Jeremy. String Quartet in D major, M9 at AllMusic