programme notes

phoenix collective

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) arr. Andrew Wilson

Sonata no 9 in A major op 47 ‘Kreutzer’ (1803)

Adagio sostenuto – Presto

Although subtitled ‘Kreutzer’, the Sonata no 9 was originally written for the famous mixed-race violinist George Bridgetower. Beethoven and Bridgetower had formed a friendship, and it was to Bridgetower that Beethoven wrote the sonata’s original dedication: ‘Mulatto Sonata composed for the mulatto Brischdauer (Bridgetower), great madman mulatto composer’. The premiere was given by Beethoven and Bridgetower in May 1803, apparently unrehearsed, with the violinist sight-reading from Beethoven’s handwritten score and the composer playing largely from memory. Given the now legendary difficulty of both parts, it can be surmised that there was a fair amount of improvisation from both musicians!

After the first performance, Beethoven and Bridgetower argued (apparently over some unsavoury comments from the violinist about a woman of their acquaintance), and the enraged Beethoven removed the dedication of the sonata. For the publication of the work in 1805 he dedicated it instead to Rodolphe Kreutzer, who was considered to be the foremost violinist of the day. However, Kreutzer, who did not have a high opinion of Beethoven’s work, refused to perform the sonata, labelling it ‘outrageously unintelligible’. 

The wording of the subsequent dedication to Kreutzer contains some interesting clues to Beethoven’s thoughts about the work. He lists it as a ‘Sonata for piano and violin obbligato written in a concertante style, similar to a concerto…’ The significance of the piano part cannot be underestimated, and it is clear that Beethoven, a pianist himself, saw the sonata as a duet of equal voices, rather than an accompanied violin work. Today’s arrangement highlights the dense texture of the writing, with three parts dedicated to covering the piano part whilst one player represents the involved intricacies of the violin part.

Rodolphe Kreutzer, now primarily remembered by string players for his books of violin studies, could not have known that he was refusing to perform a piece that would become one of Beethoven’s most famous chamber works, inspiring countless performers, as well as works by Tolstoy and Janáček.

Leoš Janáček (1854–1928) 

String Quartet no 1 ‘The Kreutzer Sonata’ (1923)

Adagio – Con moto

Con moto

Con moto – Vivo – Andante

Con moto – (Adagio) – Più mosso

Written in just nine days in October 1923, the String Quartet no 1 was Janáček’s response to Tolstoy’s 1889 novella The Kreutzer Sonata, which was itself inspired by Beethoven’s Sonata no 9. The Tolstoy work tells the story of a jealous husband who becomes convinced that his wife is having an affair with a violinist with whom she is performing the ‘Kreutzer’ sonata. Unable to control his rage, he ultimately murders her, although Tolstoy leaves open the question of whether the affair was real or simply the product of the husband’s delusional jealousy.

Intriguingly, although the Tolstoy story represents the perspective of the husband, Janáček was more interested in depicting the experience of the woman trapped in a loveless marriage. He wrote to Kamila Stösslová (herself the subject of his second quartet, ‘Intimate Letters’) ‘I had in mind the pitiable woman who is maltreated, beaten and murdered, as described by Tolstoy…’

While the action in the Tolstoy narrative is not specifically outlined in the music, there are certainly quotations from the first movement of the Beethoven sonata, which is particularly referenced in the story. A quote from the main theme of the ‘Kreutzer’ sonata Presto appears early in the first movement, anchoring the work to Beethoven from the outset and continuing throughout the movement. Even more significant is the almost direct quotation of the second theme of the Beethoven, which appears in Janáček’s third movement, transposed from major to minor. This theme is passed between the first violin and cello, but is consistently interrupted by aggressive, scratchy interjections from the viola and second violin. It has been suggested that these represent the husband’s descent into madness as he hears the lyrical beauty of the Beethoven performance.

Janáček’s distinctive musical language does justice to the drama of the Tolstoy novella, with his use of small repeated motifs and abrupt changes of tempo depicting the husband’s obsessive jealousy. The composer’s lifelong interest in speech patterns gives the work an almost conversational quality and mirrors the internal monologue of a protagonist driven to insanity by his own paranoia. Not surprisingly, Janáček’s use of these elements and his grasp of dramatic pacing has inspired commentators to refer to his string quartets as ‘opera without words’.

Karen Tanaka (1961–present)

‘At the grave of Beethoven’ (1999)

Recognised as one of Japan’s most significant living composers, Karen Tanaka’s career has included multiple awards and commissions from some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and ensembles. Now living in Los Angeles, Tanaka is also known for her film scores, which include soundtracks to short films, documentaries and animated films.

The Brodsky Quartet commissioned ‘At the grave of Beethoven’ to mark the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's opus 18 string quartets. It is a two–movement exploration of the themes of the first and second movements of the String Quartet op 18 no 3. Tanaka’s contemplative treatment of these themes includes many modulations into remote keys and clever inversions of the melodies, whilst retaining the character of the original material.

In reference to the work, Tanaka writes:

‘Opus 18 no 3 is probably the most gentle and lyrical work in the set. I feel the pure spirit and ardent hope of young Beethoven in it. The first movement of 'At the grave of Beethoven' was inspired by the first four bars of opus 18 no 3. These four bars were developed and interpreted in a contemporary manner, reflecting the tension and anxiety of our life today. The second movement is made by chains of modulations. When I was writing this movement in the spring of 1999, the news from Kosovo was reported on TV every day. I was shocked and horrified by this civil war, and it influenced my writing unconsciously. Along with each modulation, I had images that lotus flowers grow and bloom, in the hope of serenity and peace.’

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

String Quartet in D major op 18, no 3 (1798)

Allegro

Andante con moto

Allegro

Presto

Written as part of a set of string quartets dedicated to Josef Franz von Lobkowitz, one of Beethoven’s most enthusiastic patrons, the D major quartet represents Beethoven’s early experimentation with the form. Although listed as no 3, this quartet was in fact composed before any of the other opus 18 quartets, making it the first string quartet Beethoven wrote. Hugely influenced by Mozart and especially Haydn, who was widely considered to be the father of the string quartet, Beethoven doubtless felt some trepidation about composing in this genre.

 As is to be expected, Beethoven stuck to traditional forms and structures in the opus 18 quartets, as befitted a novice composer in the genre, but nevertheless glimpses of his unique style can be seen even in these early works. Especially notable are the somewhat jarring and unexpected dynamic changes, and the rhythmic displacement effected by accents so beloved of the Mannheim school of composition.

The gentle opening theme of the first movement features a rising minor seventh followed by a cascading downward scale. This is initiated by the first violin and then echoed by each of the other parts, almost as if each player is introducing themselves and asserting their role as equal members of the ensemble. Beethoven cycles through several themes in the first movement, with each treated deftly in a manner strongly reminiscent of Mozart.

The slow movement opens with a simple, song-like melody which begins in the second violin and is subsequently taken up by the other parts. The movement is almost in a rondo form, with frequent returns to the opening melody and excursions into other material in between. Beethoven’s admiration for Haydn is evident in the clock-like sequence in which the theme is broken down into staccato notes and divided between the parts.

Beethoven’s characteristic Scherzo/Trio writing defines the third movement, although it isn’t titled as such. In this movement the unexpected accents are used to full effect, mischievously breaking up the gracious simplicity of the three/four metre.

The final movement comprises a lighthearted dance in a compound metre. The material is gradually broken into smaller and smaller pieces, and leads to the inevitable imitative fugal section in the development. The almost tarantella-like rhythm whirls along merrily, unexpectedly disappearing into nothing in the final bars.

Musicians, Phoenix Collective Quartet:

Violin 1 & Artistic Director - Dan Russell

Violin 2 - Pip Thompson

Viola - Ella Brinch

Cello - Andrew Wilson