Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - String Quartet No. 2 in F major Op. 22

 

Pyotr Tchaikovsky

(1840~1893)

 

 

 String Quartet No. 2 in F major Op. 22

 Borodin Quartet

             

The String Quartet No. 2 in F major, Op. 22, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was composed between December 1873 and January 1874.

In October 1874, Tchaikovsky is on record as considering it his finest work. "I regard it as my best work; no other piece has poured forth from me so simply and easily. I wrote it almost at one sitting. (from letter to his brother Modest, quoted in reference.  Also, later (quoted in the chapter '1879-1881'), "I wrote that music (Vakula) with affection and with delight, just as I did... the Second Quartet" (from letter to Nadezhda von Meck, ibid).

 

Structure

The 1st movement starts with an introductory 18 bars (without key signature) of Adagio in 6/8 time marked quaver = 66, with the character almost of a cadenza with increasingly rococo embellishment, before leading to the main body which is a Moderato Assai, quasi andantino in F major, in 4/4 time, crotchet = 80.(Adagio, G단조, 6/8박자 -

               Moderato assai, F장조, 4/4박자, 소나타 형식

18마디까지의 Adagio 도입부는 반음계적인 진행과 더불어 바이올린 카덴차로 주

부를 이끌어 낸다. 주부는 소타타 형식이며 제시부의 제 1 주제가 소개되고 비올라

로 옮겨지며 화음의 합주가 진행하고 제 2 주제는 C장조의 러시아 민요풍의 내용으

로 먼저 제 1 바이올린이 나타나고 이후 두개의 바이올린이 옥타브로 주제를 연주

한다. 전개부는 변형된 제 1 주제와 원형에 가까운 제 2 주제가 이어지고, 재현부는

 강주로 연주되어 코다로 전개되고, 피지카토의 반주로 종결된다. 

 

The 2nd movement (5 flats) Allegro Giusto, dotted crotchet = 112, in a mixed 6/8 and 9/8 tempo in mostly a 2 bars of 6/8 + 1 bar of 9/8 pattern, occasionally augmented to 3+1 and 4+1; a middle section in 3/4 (3 sharps) marked l'istesso tempo

follows, then a return to the asymmetrical 2+1 complex tempo; as tension mounts at the end the pattern is stretched to 14+1.

제 2 악장 Scherzo. Allegro giusto, D flat 장조, 6/8 - 9/8박자, 3부 형식

주부는 복합 박자. 악절 끝이 규칙적으로 9박자가 되는데 예외적으로 4째 마디와 

5째 마디 이외에는 모두 3째 마디에서 이루어진다. 트리오는 A장조, 3/4박자, 무곡

조의 주제는 피지카토를 타고 제 1 바이올린의 G선으로 연주되면 이것을 제 2 바

이올린이 이어받아 얽혀 연주한다

 

 

 

The 3rd movement (4 flats) is an Andante ma non tanto crotchet = 60 in 3/4 time, with a mid section in 4 sharps pochissimo piu moto (crotchet = 76).

제 3 악장 Andante ma non tanto, F단조, 3/4박자, 3부 형식

주제를 도입하고 4개의 악기가 대위법적으로 발전하며 E장조의 중간부는 첼로의 

리듬위에 주부와 대조되는 악상이 발전되고 다시 주부가 복귀하면서 코다로 연결

된다.

 

The 4th movement, back in F major, is Allegro con moto 3/4 crotchet = 136 and is relatively uncomplicated. (Technical data from the first edition, published in Moscow by P. Jurgenson, n.d. (1875). Plate 2581; this file is available at IMSLP and is part of the Sibley Mirroring Project.)

제 4 악장 Finale. Allegro con moto, F장조, 3/4박자, 론도 형식

4마디의 서주 후 론도주제가 등장. 같은 리듬위에 D flat 장조의 에피소드들이 나타나고, 코다로 전 악장을 종결된다

 

Premiere and reports of its reception

From reference (page 83): ‘The Quartet Op 22 was played by F. Laub, I. Grjymali, V. Fitzenhagen,

and Y.-G. Gerber, at A. Rubinstein’s house. According to Kashkin, Rubinstein "with his usual bluntness declared that the style was not that of chamber music and that he could not understand it".

The performers and other guests- Kashkin, Hubert, and Albrecht- were delighted with it.’

 

Also (ibid, p88) ‘Modest Tchaikovsky wrote a long letter to his brother on 24 October 1874, after

having heard a rehearsal of the second quartet at the Davydovs and the first public performance.

At the rehearsal Davydov said it was Tchaikovsky’s best work; Auer said that it had the force of

Beethoven (according to Modest the only composer many Russians would listen to); Malozemova

wanted to send a congratulatory telegram. During rehearsal Auer and Davydov disagreed over the

tempo of the Scherzo, the former wanting it faster, the latter slower.

 

In the end Davydov’s views prevailed and Modest found the slower tempo at the concert less than convincing. However, the slow movement was played marvellously, so that some of the audience called out ‘bis’ at its conclusion. The finale was absolutely convincing. Modest heard Rimski-Korsakov unreservedly praising the work to Cui, as also the Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaievich to whom it was dedicated, and Count Litke.’

 

Tchaikovsky replied to Modest in a letter (29 October 1874): "I am glad that you, Malozemova and all those who sympathise, liked my quartet; I regard it as my best composition; none of my works

flowed out of me so simply and easily. I wrote it practically at one go and was astonished that the

public did not like it, for I find that compositions written spontaneously have every chance of success."