String Quartet in C major, Op.59, No.3 (“Rasumovsky”) [1806]

String Quartet in C major Op.59 No.3 “Rasumovsky” (1805-6)

Introduzione: andante con moto - Allegro vivace

Andante con moto quasi allegretto

Menuetto: grazioso -

Allegro molto

Of the three “Razumovsky” Quartets, only the third in C major seems have made an immediately favourable impression on the public of the day - which is surprising, considering that it contains no popular “Thème russe,” that it begins in tonal obscurity and that it ends with a highly developed combination of fugue and sonata form. On the other hand, the Allegro vivace, which begins as the tonality first alights on C major, is as joyful as the Andante is engagingly rueful, while the Menuetto is as charming as the fugal finale is irresistibly exhilarating.

Of the three String Quartets commissioned from Beethoven by Count Rasumovsky in 1806, only the third in C major made a favourable impression on the otherwise baffled public of the day. Bearing in mind the tonally obscure introduction, which keeps the listener in the dark until the opening of the Allegro vivace, the ready acceptance of the work might seem surprising. The fact is, however, that Beethoven uses this evasive approach to make two very salient points. The first positive assertion of C major occurs on a detached upbeat, the shorter of the two chords immediately preceding the capricious violin solo at the beginning of the Allegro vivace. The next unequivocally C major event is the sudden outburst of joy on upper strings skipping in vigorous rhythmic unison over a bouncing ostinato on the cello. Of the two themes so ingeniously highlighted in this way - the apparently insignificant two-note motif and the first subject proper - it is actually the two note-motif that is to have the more prominent role in the movement.

The same rhythmic feature forms the first two notes of the gently undulating melody introduced by violin over a pensive pizzicato cello at the beginning of the second movement - an effortlessly extended inspiration in A minor flowing, though not always smoothly, at an Andante con moto quasi allegretto tempo that is neither fast nor slow. The themes of both the Menuetto and its central Trio section, on the other hand, are conspicuous for the absence of an introductory upbeat. The Menuetto is remarkable too for a certain old-fashioned quality in its melodic shape, making it a gracious point of repose before the precipitous fugal finale, which follows without a break.

The Allegro molto fugue, based on an inversion of the Menuetto theme, begins on viola, which is joined by the other instruments in turn. When it comes to the entry of first violin, at the top of a crescendo and on an emphatically unambiguous chord of C major, the physical exhilaration is comparable to that of the joyous entry of the first subject in the same key in the first movement. The long-term connection has been made and it is now a matter of sustaining the energy long enough to balance the proportions of the two outer wings of the four-movement structure - in pursuit of which a purposeful counter-theme in even minims is introduced to offset the hyper-active fugue subject and to propel it irresistibly towards the coda.

Beethoven was so aware of Mozart’s “Dissonance” Quartet in C major when working on his own Quartet in C major in 1805 or 1806 that he approached the first movement in much the same way. Again a slow introduction of obscure tonality keeps the listener in the dark until the first C major harmonies illuminate the opening of the Allegro. Beethoven’s introductory harmonies are less radical, however, and his intentions are clearer.

A vital strategy associated with the establishment of the tonic key here is that the first C major triad occurs on a detached upbeat, the shorter of the two chords immediately preceding the capricious violin solo at the beginning of the Allegro vivace. The next unequivocally C major event is the sudden outburst of joy on upper strings skipping in vigorous rhythmmic unison over a bouncing ostinato on the cello. In this way Beethoven has been able to highlight the profile of two important ideas: the apparently insignificant two-note motif, an upbeat followed by a longer accented note, and the first subject proper. Of the two, strangely enough, it is the two note-motif that has the more prominent role in the movement. It plays a part in the transition to the second subject and it dominates the development to the point of obsession, most dramatically where one version of the motif on the two violins contradicts another on cello and viola. It makes its presence felt in the coda too, but more discreetly in this case.

The same rhythmic feature forms the first two notes of the gently undulating melody introduced by violin over a pensive pizzicato cello at the beginning of the second movement - an effortlessly extended inspiration in A minor flowing, though not always smoothly, at an andante con moto quasi allegretto tempo that is neither fast nor slow. Throughout the movement, but particularly where material associated with the opening theme is involved, Beethoven insists on retaining the prominence of the two-note motif, usually by emphasising its natural rhythm but sometimes by contradicting it. The two episodes that escape it are based on a significantly brighter melody introduced on first violin and briefly developed in counterpoint with the other instruments. Though short, these radiant episodes in major keys represent a turning point towards the ultimate direction of the work.

The themes of both the Menuetto in C major and its central Trio section in F major are conspicuous for the absence of an introductory upbeat. They are remarkable too for a certain old-fashioned quality in their melodic shape, reflecting Beethoven’s decision - for the first time in the three Quartets he dedicated to Count Rasumovsky - to include a minuet rather than a scherzo. It is a necessarily gracious point of repose before the precipitous fugal finale, which follows without a break.

The Allegro molto fugue, based on an inversion of the Menuetto theme, begins on viola, which is joined by the other instruments in turn. When it comes to the the entry of first violin, at the top of a crescendo and on an emphatically unambiguous chord of C major, the physical exhilaration is comparable to that of the joyous entry of the first subject in the same key in the first movement. The long-term connection has been made and it is now a matter of sustaining the energy long enough to balance the proportions of the two outer wings of the four-movement structure. Inspired to some extent by the Molto allegro finale Mozart’s Quartet in G major, K.387, which is a similarly masterful combination of fugue and sonata-form, Beethoven is inexhaustible in his ingenuity. Perhaps the greatest inspiration is the introduction of a purposeful counter-theme in even minims to offset the hyper-active fugue subject on its recapitulation and to propel it towards the coda.

Gerald Larner©

Of the String Quartets commissioned from Beethoven by Count Rasumovsky in 1806, only the third in C major seems to have made a favourable impression on the otherwise baffled public of the day. On their publication as Op.59 in 1808 the three works were described by one reviewer as “long and difficult…profound and excellently wrought but not easily intelligible - except perhaps for the third, whose originality and harmonic power will surely win over every educated music lover.” Unless the educated music lover was familiar with Mozart’s “Dissonance” Quartet in C major, however, and already at ease with its cryptic opening, he or she would surely have had problems with the first movement of Op.59, No.3, which Beethoven approached in much the same way. Again a slow introduction of obscure tonality keeps the listener in the dark until the first C major harmonies illuminate the opening of the Allegro.

A vital strategy associated with the establishment of the tonic key here is that the first positive assertion of C major occurs on a detached upbeat, the shorter of the two chords immediately preceding the capricious violin solo at the beginning of the Allegro vivace. The next unequivocally C major event is the sudden outburst of joy on upper strings skipping in vigorous rhythmic unison over a bouncing ostinato on the cello. In this way Beethoven has been able to highlight the profile of two important ideas: the apparently insignificant two-note motif, an upbeat followed by a longer accented note, and the first subject proper. Of the two, strangely enough, it is the two note-motif that has the more prominent role in the movement. It plays a part in the transition to the second subject and it dominates the development to the point of obsession, most dramatically where one version of the motif on the two violins contradicts another on cello and viola. It makes its presence felt in the coda too, but more discreetly in this case.

The same rhythmic feature forms the first two notes of the gently undulating melody introduced by violin over a pensive pizzicato cello at the beginning of the second movement - an effortlessly extended inspiration in A minor flowing, though not always smoothly, at an andante con moto quasi allegretto tempo that is neither fast nor slow. Throughout the movement, but particularly where material associated with the opening theme is involved, Beethoven insists on retaining the prominence of the two-note motif, usually by emphasising its natural rhythm but sometimes by contradicting it. The two episodes that escape it are based on a significantly brighter melody introduced on first violin and briefly developed in counterpoint with the other instruments. Though short, these radiant episodes in major keys represent a turning point towards the ultimate direction of the work.

The themes of both the Menuetto in C major and its central Trio section in F major are conspicuous for the absence of an introductory upbeat. They are remarkable too for a certain old-fashioned quality in their melodic shape, reflecting Beethoven’s decision - for the first time in the three Quartets he dedicated to Count Rasumovsky - to include a minuet rather than a scherzo. It is a necessarily gracious point of repose before the precipitous fugal finale, which follows without a break.

The Allegro molto fugue, based on an inversion of the Menuetto theme, begins on viola, which is joined by the other instruments in turn. When it comes to the entry of first violin, at the top of a crescendo and on an emphatically unambiguous chord of C major, the physical exhilaration is comparable to that of the joyous entry of the first subject in the same key in the first movement. The long-term connection has been made and it is now a matter of sustaining the energy long enough to balance the proportions of the two outer wings of the four-movement structure. Inspired to some extent by the Molto allegro finale of Mozart’s Quartet in G major, K.387, which is a similarly masterful combination of fugue and sonata-form, Beethoven is inexhaustible in his ingenuity. Perhaps the greatest inspiration is the introduction of a purposeful counter-theme in even minims to offset the hyper-active fugue subject on its recapitulation and to propel it towards the coda.