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Technical Notice
| Classical Composer: | Schubert, Franz |
|---|---|
| Work: | String Quartet No. 15 in G Major, Op. 161, D. 887 |
| Year Composed: | 1826 |
| Instrumentation: | str qt |
| Publisher: | Universal Edition |
| Duration: | 00:50:00 |
| Period: | Romantic |
| Work Category: | Chamber Music |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
In 1826, Schubert's Sting Quartet No. 15 in G major, Op. 161, D. 887, opens with some ambiguity, its initial G major quickly shifting to G minor. A violin melody is echoed by the cello, with tremolo accompaniment. The gentle second subject, in a characteristic rhythm and approached through the key of F sharp major, is in clear contrast. These elements are explored in the central development, after which the recapitulation starts by reversing the original major minor harmonies of the opening, to G minor immediately followed by G major, proceeding to a number of changes in the detail and figuration of what follows. The movement ends with a reiteration of G major.
The E minor slow movement opens with a poignant cello melody. There is a more turbulent middle section with dotted rhythms, rushing scales and dramatic tremolo, after which the principal melody returns in B minor and in canon between cello and second violin, followed by a new G major melody, heard from the first violin and cello. This continues in a new key, divided and then in canon between the two instruments. The main theme returns, to end in E major. The B minor Scherzo, with its own subtle modulations, frames a G major Trio in which the Ländler melody is first given to the cello. The last movement, impelled forward by its tarantella rhythm, is a rondo, its main theme again veering between G major and G minor, while other keys are explored in its contrasting episodes.
Writer: Keith Anderson
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