APPROVED:

Julia Bushkova, Major Professor David Bard-Schwarz, Committee Member Susan Dubois, Committee Member Benjamin Brand, Director of Graduate

Studies in the College of Music John W. Richmond, Dean of the College of

Music Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse

Graduate School

EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES AND SPECIAL EFFECTS IN ARNOLD SCHOENBERG’S

STRING QUARTET NO. 1 AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN

CHAMBER MUSIC LITERATURE

Leah Greenfield, B.M, G.D, M.M.

Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

August 2017

Greenfield, Leah. Extended String Techniques and Special Effects in Arnold Schoenberg’s

String Quartet No. 1 and Its Significance in Chamber Music Literature. Doctor of Musical Arts

(Performance), August 2017, 79 pp., 23 figures, bibliography, 47 titles.

Arnold Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1, Op. 7 stands out as being the first chamber

music piece to use a vast number and variety of extended string techniques within one

composition. This paper examines a brief history of extended string techniques in chamber

music, analyses the unique ways in which Schoenberg applied extended string techniques to

manipulate motives in his Op. 7 quartet, and ultimately shows that Schoenberg’s use of

extended string techniques influenced future composers to employ even more extended

techniques and special effects in their own twentieth-century chamber music.

ii

Copyright 2017

by

Leah Greenfield

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to extend a deep appreciation to my committee: Professor Julia Bushkova,

Dr. David Bard-Schwarz, and Dr. Susan Dubois, for their time and dedication to both this

dissertation and my corresponding lecture recital. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr.

Margaret Notley for exploring this subject with me in her seminar class, Chamber Music in

Vienna, at the University of North Texas, and encouraging me to pursue the topic of extended

string techniques in Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 1 Op. 7.

A huge thank you goes to my colleagues: Dr. Zo Manfredi, Dr. Veronika Vassileva, and

DMA candidate Lejing Zhou for performing with me at my lecture recital, and to Professor

Bushkova and Dr. George Papich for coaching our group. Lastly, I would like to thank my family

for their years of never-ending support and inspiration.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... iii

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... v

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 2: DEFINITION OF EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES AND THEIR HISTORY IN CHAMBER MUSIC 5

CHAPTER 3: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SCHOENBERG’S LIFE AND HIS OPUS 7 STRING QUARTET NO. 1 IN D MINOR ................................................................................................................................ 22

CHAPTER 4: PASSAGES OF EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES WITHIN SCHOENBERG’S OPUS 7 QUARTET ....................................................................................................................................... 31

CHAPTER 5: DRAWING A LINEAGE FROM SCHOENBERG TO BARTÓK: EXTENDED STRING TECHNIQUES IN CHAMBER MUSIC AFTER 1905 ........................................................................... 66

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 73

BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................................................. 75

v

LIST OF FIGURES

Page Figure 1: Capriccio Stravagante by Carlo Farina, mm. 288-298 ................................................... 10

Figure 2: Capriccio Stravagante by Carlo Farina, mm. 103-112 ................................................... 11

Figure 3: Boccherini String Quartet Op. 9 No. 3, Trio from his third movement ......................... 13

Figure 4: String Quartet No. 14, op. 131 by Ludwig van Beethoven, fifth movement ................. 14

Figure 5: Sul Ponticello in Grieg String Quartet No. 1, Op. 27, first movement, Rehearsal Q to the end ................................................................................................................................................ 17

Figure 6: String Quartet in G Minor Op. 10 by Claude Debussy ................................................... 20

Figure 7: A brief form overview of Schoenberg’s Op. 7 String Quartet ....................................... 29

Figure 8: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A61-A63 ........................ 32

Figure 8b: Reduction to show semitones ..................................................................................... 33

Figure 9: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, m. A71 .................................. 34

Figure 10: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A83-A84 ...................... 35

Figure 11: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. A96-B14 ...................... 36

Figure 12: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. E128-F10 .................... 39

Figure 12b: Harmonic reduction ................................................................................................... 40

Figure 12c: Harmonic reduction of mm. F1-F9 ............................................................................. 41

Figure 13: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. G-G37 ......................... 43

Figure 14: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. K73-K77 ...................... 48

Figure 15: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. L22-L38 ....................... 50

Figure 16: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. 8-10 ............................ 53

Figure 16b: Intervallic sequences within motive x ....................................................................... 54

Figure 17: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. C9-C11 ........................ 55

Figure 18: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. C10-C30 ...................... 56

vi

Figure 19: String Quartet in D Minor Op. 7 by Arnold Schoenberg, mm. N80-O ......................... 61

Figure 20: String Quartet Op. 3 by Alban Berg, First movement, mm. 41-47 .............................. 67

Figure 21: String Quartet Op. 3 by Alban Berg, First movement, mm. 75-82 .............................. 68

Figure 22: String Quartet No. 3 by Béla Bartók, second movement, Rehearsal 25 ..................... 71

Figure 23: String Quartet No. 4 by Béla Bartók, fourth movement, mm. 55-62 .......................... 71

CHAPTER1

INTRODUCTION

Thereissomethingintrinsicallybeautifulaboutthesoundofabowedstringinstrument,

aqualitythatisdifficulttoputintowords.Physically,astringinstrumentisdesignedtoring

withharmonicovertones,creatingaclearandopensound.Thebowenablessustainedtone

productionthatisnotaseasilyachievablewithaninstrumentcontrolledbybreathorby

strikingakey.ViolinistandcomposerCharlesDeBériotwroteoftheviolin’sabilityto“render

allthetender,plaintiveandsorrowfulexpressionsofthesentimentsofthesoul”,1andspokeof

its“truemission,whichisthatofimitatingtheaccentsofthehumanvoice”.2Istronglyagree

withthesesentimentsthatthestringinstrumentsstandoutasevokinghumansounds,imitative

ofthenaturalsingingvoice.

Onoccasion,composersemploytechniqueswhichrequirethatthebowdoesnotdraw

acrossthestringinitstypicalmanner.Theseextendedstringtechniques,achievablethrough

alterationstotypicalplayingmethodsineitherthelefthandorrighthand,drivetheinstrument

tosoundharshorpercussive,or,alternatively,farawayandeerie,addingavarietyofcolors

andeffectstothetypicalscopeofthestringplayer’ssound.Extendedstringtechniqueschange

thesingingessenceinthestringinstrument’ssound,sothatthetechniquesstandoutinstark

contrasttothetypicalvoiceofthestringinstrument.Inmyexperienceasateacheranda

1CharlesdeBériot,Methodedeviolon/Violin-school,Op.102(NewYork:G.Schirmer,1927),240.2Ibid.,1.

1

performer,Ihavefoundthatbothexperiencedmusiciansandnovicelistenersalikeimmediately

recognizethechangeinsoundqualitybetweennormalstringplayingandextendedstring

techniques.

Thesoundsofextendedstringtechniquesvarygreatlydependingontheircontext.For

example,ifanentirestringsectionplayedwithcollegno3bowinginanorchestra,therewould

beapronouncedpercussivesound,whereasthatsoundwouldlikelybesubtlerwithasolo

violinistoronlyafewstringplayersplayingtogether.Ontheotherhand,atechniquesuchas

sulponticello4tendstohaveamorepronouncedsoundinchambermusicbecauseallthe

overtonesproducedbyplayingonthebridgewouldbeaudibleandnotcoveredbyother

instrumentsastheymightbeinanorchestralsetting.

Extendedstringtechniquesandspecialstringeffectswerenotuncommoninorchestral

musicbytheendofthenineteenthcentury;manyprominentexamplesexistsuchasthecol

legnopassageinSymphonieFantastiquebyHectorBerlioz(1830),andpassagesofsulponticello

inTristanundIsoldebyWagner(1857-59),aswellasinGustavMahler’sFifthSymphony

(1904).5Thesetechniqueswereslowertoappearinchambermusic,butthiswouldchangeafter

ArnoldSchoenbergwrotehisStringQuartetNo.1,Op.7inDminor,6alandmarkworkinthe

3Collegno:Bouncingorstrikingthewoodofthebowagainstthestringtoproduceapercussivesound.ThistermwillbediscussedmoreextensivelyinChapter2.4Sulponticello:Placingthebowbyoronthebridge,whichcaneitheremphasize,eliminateordistortthehigherpartials,resultinginaharshsound.ThistermwillbediscussedmoreextensivelyinChapter2.5NormanDelMar,AnatomyoftheOrchestra(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1981),79-85.ThisbookprovidesmusicalexamplesfromthepiecesthatImentioned,aswellasevenmoreexamplesofcoloristicusesofthebow.6Schoenbergactuallywroteonestringquartetbeforethisonethatwaspublishedposthumously,soinordertoavoidanydiscrepanciesinnumbering,IrefertothisquartetthroughoutthedocumentasSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartet.

2

useofthesetechniquesintwentieth-centurychambermusic.

Littlediscussionexistsregardingstringtechniquesinthechambermusicrepertoirein

theearly20thcentury,butwhenthetopicisaddressed,scholarsmostoftenciteBélaBartókfor

theextendedstringtechniquesinhisfourstringquartets.7Yet,Schoenbergusedalarge

numberofthesetechniquesveryextensivelyinhisfirstpublishedstringquartet,composedin

1905,yearsbeforecomposerssuchasBartókusedthesametechniquestomuchgreater

acclaim.

AperusalofthescoreofSchoenberg’sOp.7StringQuartetrevealsclearpatternsin

Schoenberg’sapplicationofthesetechniques.Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesand

specialeffectsintransitionsbetweenformalsections,creatingastrikinglydifferenttypeof

soundinthosepassages.Inthemostextremecases,heusedthesetechniquestoreplacethe

developmentofmotives,whichdisappearinsectionsof“liquidation”(Schoenberg’sterm).8

ThispaperwillelucidatethethreewaysSchoenbergcontributedtoextendedstringtechniques

andspecialeffectsinchambermusicwithhisOp.7StringQuartet:byusinganunprecedented

numberofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonesinglestringquartet;byusingthemto

amplifyordisintegratefamiliarmotiveswiththeaimofmakinganeffectivetransitionbetween

thematicsectionsofthequartet;andbycreatingwhatIseeasamodelforfuturecomposers

7Forexample,inPatriciaStrange’sbook,“TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechnique”(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),shegivesmultipleexamplesofBartók’sstringquartets,asdoestheentryfor“sulponticello”intheGroveMusicEncyclopedia("Sulponticello,"GroveMusicOnline.OxfordMusicOnline.OxfordUniversityPress,accessedOctober12,2016,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/27102.).8Liquidation,accordingtoSchoenberg,is“graduallyeliminatingcharacteristicfeatures[ofatheme],untilonlyuncharacteristiconesremain,whichnolongerdemandacontinuation”[ArnoldSchoenbergandGeraldStrang,FundamentalsofMusicalComposition(NewYork:St.Martin’sPress,1967),58].

3

interestedinapplyingextendedstringtechniquesintheirownchambermusic.

4

CHAPTER2

DEFINITIONOFEXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUES

ANDTHEIRHISTORYINCHAMBERMUSIC

2.1DefinitionofExtendedStringTechniques

Currentlythereisnopublishedorwidelyaccepteddefinitionoftheterm“extended

stringtechnique”,noristhereaclearlinebetweenwhatconstitutesanextendedstring

techniqueversusastandardone.PerformerandauthorPatriciaStrangereferstoextended

stringperformancetechniqueas“extensionsofnormalbowing[orfingering]technique”.9

MusicologistPeterWallsequatesthesetechniqueswithspecialeffects,andexplainshowthey

changethetimbrefromthetypicalsoundoftheinstrument.10Forthepurposesofthispaper,I

willdefine“extendedstringtechniques”as:bowingsandfingeringmethodsoutsideofthose

typicallyusedtoplayastringinstrument,thatchangethenormaltonecolorortimbreofthe

instrument.

ThefollowingdefinitionsofspecificstringtechniquescomefromDavidBoyden’sarticles

aboutspecificstringtechniquesintheNewGroveMusicEncyclopedia,PatriciaStrange’sbook

TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechniques,andHectorBerlioz’sGrandtraité

9PatriciaandAllenStrange,TheContemporaryViolin:ExtendedPerformanceTechniques(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),30.10Werner Bachmann, et al. "Bow," Grove Music Online, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press,accessed March 3, 2017, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/03753.

5

d'instrumentationetd'orchestrationmodernes.

Consordino(trans.“withmute”):Placingamuteonthebridge.Whilethisisastandard

stringtechniquewhenitisusedforthepurposeofmakingastringinstrumentsofter,italso

createsatimbraleffectthatgivesa“mournful,mysterious,andsoftenedtone”.11

Collegnobattuto(trans.“hitwiththewood”):Bouncingorstrikingthewoodofthebow

againstthestringtoproduceapercussivesound.Berliozreferredtothiseffectas“terrible

combinedwiththegrotesque”,12andsuggestedthatitshouldonlybeusedrarelyandfora

definitepurpose.13

Harmonics:Changingthenormaltimbreofthestringinstrumentbylightlypressingon

oneofthestring’sharmonicnodes(naturalharmonics),orpressingfirmlywithonefingerto

shortenit,andthenlightlypressingwithahigherfingerononeofthenodesoftheshortened

string(artificialharmonics).Berliozwrote,“Theseharmonicshaveapeculiarcharacterof

mysterioussoftness”.14Headdedthattheir“delicacyandtenuity…andtheircrystallinequality

renderthemappropriatetochordsthatmaybecalledfairy-like,thatistosay,tothoseeffects

ofharmonywhichinspirebrilliantmusings,andcarrytheimaginationtowardsthemost

gracefulfictionsofthepoeticalandsupernaturalworld.”15ItappearsthatSchoenbergused

harmonicsinhisOp.7stringquartettothesameeffect.

11HectorBerliozandMaryCowdenClarke,ATreatiseonModernInstrumentationandOrchestration;ToWhichIsAppendedtheChefD'orchestre(London:Novello,Ewer,1882),16.12Ibid.,21.13Ibid.,21.14Ibid.,2115Ibid.,14.

6

Sulponticello(or,inGerman,amSteg16):Placingthebowbyoronthebridge,whichcan

eitheremphasize,eliminateordistortthehigherpartials,resultinginaharshsound.Thesul

ponticellotechniquehasareputationthroughouthistoryasbeingadistinctlyunappealing

sound.MusicologistElisabethLeGuindescribedsulponticelloasa“glassy,choked,anddistant

tone”,17andemphasizedthatexecutingasulponticellosoundrequiresagreatdealofrestraint,

duetothedifficultyofkeepingthebowsoclosetothebridge.

Sulponticellocanhaveadifferenteffectdependingonitsdynamic.Regardingaloudsul

ponticello,Berliozwrote,“Iknownothingofthiskindmoredramaticormoreterrible.”18Sul

ponticellocreatesalessabrasiveeffectwhenusedinpianissimo,suchasintheopeningofthe

secondactofTristanandIsolde,where,asdescribedbyRichardStrauss,“thistremoloeffect

nearthebridge(depictingtherustlingoftheleavesandtheblowingofthewind)producesa

feelingofaweandapprehensioninthelistener”.19

Sultasto:Synonymouswithflautando,sultastoistheplacementofthebownearthe

fingerboard,whichalsochangesthemixofovertonesandcreatesahollowsound,similartothe

soundoftheflute.

Tremolo:Strangewrites:

Thewordtremolonolongermeansonlyarapidupanddownmovementofthebowthatproducesaquickreiterationofthesamesound.Acarefullyarticulatedtremolocanbeperceivedeitherasatimbralorarhythmicevent.Thebeginningofeachbowstrokecontainstransientnoisebursts--thesoundoftherosinedbowhairgrabbingthe

16InbothSchoenberg’sandBerg’sstringquartets,thisinstructionisinGermanratherthanthetypicalItalianphrase.17ElisabethLeGuin,Boccherini'sBody:AnEssayinCarnalMusicology(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2006),127.18HectorBerliozandRichardStrauss,TreatiseonInstrumentation(NewYork:Dover,1991),18.19Ibid.,17.

7

string.Ifafast,regulartremoloisexecuted,thesetransientswillblendtogether,formingatimbraleffectcharacterizedbyanadditionalnoiseband.20

AnotherstringtechniquethatshouldbeconsideredwhenlookingatSchoenberg’s

quartetispizzicato,orpluckingthestringwithanupwardmotion.WhileIfocuslessonthis

techniquebecauseSchoenbergdidnotseemtoapplythistechniqueduringtransitionsashedid

withtheothers,pizzicatoissometimespresentwhileotherextendedstringtechniquesare

occurring,asIwillshowinChapter4.Finally,ordinarioistheinstructionmostoftenusedto

indicatethattheperformershouldceaseplayingwithanystringtechnique.

Itisdebatablewhetherallcontemporaryviolinistswouldconsiderthesetechniques

“extended”,especiallysincetremoloandconsordinowerecommonpracticebytheendofthe

nineteenthcentury.However,sincethesestringtechniquesareallinnovativecharacteristicsin

chambermusicintotheearlytwentiethcenturyandareutilizedtocreateanarrayoftimbres

andcolors,Icallalloftheabovetermsextendedstringtechniquesandspecialeffectswithin

thecontextofSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartet.

2.2UseofExtendedStringTechniquesinChamberMusicupto1904

Theuseofextendedstringtechniquesinbothorchestralandchambermusicwas

encouragedbyHectorBerlioz,whousedavarietyofextendedstringtechniquesinhisown

SymphonieFantastique(1830).21Afterthecompositionofhissymphonyandpublicationofhis

20PatriciaandAllenStrange,TheContemporaryViolin,30.21HectorBerlioz,Symphoniefantastique:episodeinthelifeofanartist:op.14(Mineola,N.Y.:DoverPublications,1997),Consordinooccursintheopeningmeasures.Thereistremoloisintheopeningofthesecondmovement,

8

1844treatise,oneofthefirstpublicationstodefinetheapplicationandtheeffectofthese

techniques,extendedstringtechniquesbecamemorecommonintheorchestralsetting,heard

incompositionssuchasinWagner’sTristanundIsolde(1859),22andRichardStrauss’stone

poems.23Iwillnotgointodetailwiththoseexamples,asthispaperfocusesontheuseof

extendedstringtechniqueswithinthechambermusicgenre,butIbelievethatBerlioz’streatise

ledtotheincreaseduseofextendedstringtechniques,appearingfirstinorchestralmusic,and

soonafter,inchambermusicaswell.

Thischapterlooks atapplicationsofthesetechniquesinchambermusicupuntil

1905,whenSchoenberg’sOp.7quartetwaspublished,dividedintothefollowingcategories:

1.Earlyexperimentationinthe17thcentury

2. SulPonticelloforcontrast:fromBoccherinitoGrieg

3. Avarietyofextendedstringtechniques:DebussyandRavel.

2.2.1. EarlyExperimentationinthe17thCentury

CarloFarina’sCapriccioStravagante(1627)standsoutasparadingafascinatingvariety

ofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonechamberwork;suchanintenseuseofthese

techniqueswithinchambermusicwasnotseenagainuntiltheearly1900s.Thecompositionisa

longdancepiecewithepisodesofprogrammaticmusic.Farinacalledforextendedstring

consordinoattheopeningofthefifthmovement,andcollegnoatRehearsal83ofthefifthmovement.22RichardWagner,TristanundIsolde:completeorchestralscore(NewYork:DoverPublications,1973),SulPonticellocanbefoundinAct2,Scene1,startinginm.47.23RichardStraussandWilliamShakespeare,Macbeth:SinfonischeDichtung,op.23(London:ErnstEulenburg,1970),sulponticellotremoloepisodesoccurintermittentlyfrom16afterRehearsalBuntilRehearsalE.Also,inRichardStrauss,DonJuan:op.20(Mineola,NY:DoverPublications,2001),thereare10measuresofsulponticellotremolostartingatRehearsalV.

9

techniquestoimitatethesoundsofanimalsandotherinstruments.Inthefollowingexcerpt,Il

Gatto(“TheCat”),Farinainstructed,“Thecatisplayedbymakingthenotesdie,thatis,by

shiftingthe[left]handbackwardsalittleatatime;butthesixteenthnotesareplayed

ungracefullyandbadly,thatis,bymakingthebowrunaboveandbelowthebridge,justascats

dowhentheyscatteraway.”24Theseinstructionsdescribethemodern-dayglissandiand,whatI

deduceisthetechniqueofplayingbehindthebridge.

Figure1:CapriccioStravagantebyCarloFarina,mm.288-298.

Inmm.289-294,thehalfnotesaretobeplayedwithglissandi,likelytorepresentthe

meowingsoundofcats,andthefinalmeasureofrapidsixteenthnotesistobeplayedwiththe

24RebeccaCypess,"“DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten”:CarloFarina'sCapricciostravagante(1627)andtheCulturesofCollectingattheCourtofSaxony."MusicalQuarterly95,no.1:6.

202 Carlo Farina, Œuvres complètes, livre 2, éd. Aurelio Bianco

288

Die Katze

295 Hier endet sich die Katze

299

10

bowonbothsidesofthebridge.Byusingtheseeffectsinsuchaninnovativeway,onecan

imaginethesoundofcatsmeowingcatsandthenscurryingaway.Asindicatedinmeasure295,

thecatexcerptends,andthemusicresumeswithoutornamentationorspecialtechniques.

Inadditiontothesoundsofanimals,Farinaalsousedthestringconsorttorepresent

instrumentsoutsideofthestringfamily.BelowisanexcerptwhereFarinainstructedtheplayer

tousecollegno,writing“here[theplayer]hitsthewoodofthebowagainstthestrings”:25

Figure2:CapriccioStravagantebyCarloFarina,mm.103-112

Intheappendix,Farinawrotethat“these[notes]arehitwiththewoodofthebow,as

25Cypess,"DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten,”29.

11

tabor26playersdo;thatis,itisnotnecessarytoleavethebowstillfortoolong,butratherto

springawaydirectlyafterward.”27

CapriccioStravaganteisanoutlierintermsofthetrajectoryofextendedstring

techniquesinchambermusic.Manyofthesetechniqueswerenotusedagainasprogrammatic

elementsuntilapproximately200yearslater,inBerlioz’sSymphonyFantastique,anditwould

beevenlongerbeforecomposersusedextendedstringtechniquestothisextentagainin

chambermusic.Thatbeingsaid,Ifinditcrucialtorecognizethatexperimentswiththesound

capabilitiesofthestringinstrumentinchambermusicdateasfarbackastheseventeenth

century.

2.2.2. SulPonticelloforContrast:FromBoccherinitoGrieg

Thefollowingexamplesofchambermusiccontainingsulponticellospanalmosta

century.Whilethestyles,countryofcomposition,andtime-periodvarygreatly,thecommon

threadisthatthesulponticellopassagesineachofthesethreepiecesprovidemarkedcontrast

fromthesurroundingmaterialand,insomeinstances,adistinctdeparturefromthemusic

surroundingtheoccurrence.

TheearliestexampleofusingsulponticelloforcontrastthatIcouldfindisLuigi

Boccherini’sStringQuartetOp.9No.3(1772),whichhasaminuetmovementwhosetrio

sectionalternatesbetweensulponticelloanddolce(inthiscase,dolceseemstosignifya

cessationofthesulponticellobowing),creatingdisparitybetweenthetwosoundcolors(Figure

26Thetaborisaportablesnaredrum.27Cypess,"DieNaturundKunstzubetrachten,”4.

12

3).

Figure3:BoccheriniStringQuartetOp.9No.3,TheTriofromhisthirdmovement

Inthisexcerpt,thesulponticellobowingoccursinwhatIlabelas“PhraseA”:abusyand

diatonicmelodywithdetachébowing.Incontrast,thedolcephrase,whichIlabelas“PhraseB”,

islegatoandslowerinrhythm.WhilePhraseAisdecidedlyinthetonickey,PhraseBismore

melodicallychromaticandharmonicallydissonant,andmovestoahalfcadence.Thesul

ponticellobowingprovidesanotherlayerofdistinctionbetweenthetwophrases,and,when

combinedwiththechangeinharmonyandarticulation,emphasizesthemarkedcontrast

13

betweenthephrases.28

Thenextprominentexampleofextendedstringtechniquesinchambermusicwas

LudwigvanBeethoven’suseofsulponticellointhefifthmovementofhisOp.131stringquartet

(1826).ThiswasBeethoven’sfourteenthstringquartet,andthefirstandonlytimethatheused

sulponticelloinhischambermusic.Thesulponticellopassageoccursinthecoda,before

transitioningtothemovement’sfinalflourish(Figure4).

Figure4(pg.1of2):StringQuartetNo.14,op.131byLudwigvanBeethoven,final30measuresofthefifthmovement.

28Asanaside,fromaperformer’sperspective,thiswouldbeadifficultbowingtoexecutecorrectly,asthereisverylittletimetotransitionfromsulponticellosixteenthnotestodolcelegatobowing.

14

Figure4(pg.2of2):StringQuartetNo.14,op.131byLudwigvanBeethoven,final30measuresofthe

fifthmovement.

Themajorityofthesulponticellowritingiswithpianissimodynamic.Thecello,inthis

passage,isintheextremeupperregisterofitsrange,andstaysonthedominantpedalalmost

fortheentiretyofthesulponticellopassage.Theinstructiondacapoperl’ordinarioinmeasure

488tellstheperformerstoreturntoordinarybowing,andatthispoint,thedynamicrisesand

thecelloreturnstoitsnormalrange,andoutlinesthetonicinsteadofthedominantchord.I

findtheeffecttobefullofsardonichumor.Thesulponticellotechniquesuppressesand

restrainsthesound.This,combinedwiththeextremelyhighregisterofthecelloandfirstviolin,

createsapianissimotensionthatgreatlycontrastswiththelightnessofthemelodythatthey

15

areplaying.

Lastly,EdvardGriegemployedsulponticelloinawaythatisremarkablysimilartooneof

Schoenberg’susesofsulponticellothatwewillseelater.Neartheendofthefirstmovementof

Grieg’sStringQuartetNo.1Op.27,writtenin1878,therhythmslowsdown,thereisa

decrescendofromfortissimotopianississimo,andagrandpause.Then,thecelloplaysaslow

expressivemelodywhichtheupperthreevoicesaccompanywithtremoloandsulponticello

bowing.Thecombinationoftremoloandsulponticellotogetherproducesasoundthatis

greatlymoreintensethaneithertechniquealonewouldmake,heighteningtheeffectofthis

accompaniment.Thereisafermataattheendofthesection,andthenacontrastingexuberant

Prestofinalewithnormalstringsoundtofinishthemovement.AsIwillshowinchapter4,

Schoenbergsetupthisverystructureinhisquartet,usingsulponticello(andsometimesthe

combinationofsulponticelloandtremolo)initsownsection,completelyapartfromtherestof

thesurroundingmusic,andbookendedoneachsidewithfermatas,entirelyseparatingthesul

ponticellosectionintoitsownentity.

16

Figure5(pg.1of3):SulPonticelloinGriegStringQuartetNo.1,Op.27,firstmovement,rehearsalQ-end.

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VarietyofExtendedStringTechniques:DebussyandRavel

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19

6and7),usingthebrightversusmutedsoundstocreatecontrastbetweenthetwosections.

Figure6:StringQuartetinGMinorOp.10byClaudeDebussy,openingofthethirdmovementincon

sordino.

Figure6cont.:m.37ofDebussy’sStringQuartet,contrastingsenzasordinosection.

Intheaboveexamples,Figure6isfulloffermatasandpauses,creating,inmyopinion,

theimpressionofspaciousness.Themusicimmediatelybecomesmoreactiveasthemutesare

removed(Figure6cont.).

Ravelmadeextensiveuseofthesestringtechniquesinhisquartet,29suchasacomplete

themeinpizzicatoinhissecondmovement,30amutedmiddlesectioninthesecondmovement,

29Ravel,Maurice,StringquartetinFmajor,NewYork:InternationalMusic,1942.30Ibid.,RehearsalLettersH–L.

20

softtremoloasaspecialeffectintransitionalsections,andafinalemovementthatbarelyhasa

momentdevoidoftremolo.

Alloftheaboveexamplesshowthatcomposerswerestartingtousepassagesof

extendedstringtechniquesinchambermusicmorefrequentlyintheyearsleadingupto1905,

andthatthetechniqueswereusedtocreateacontrastfromthesurroundingmusicalmaterial.

Insomecases,theextendedstringtechniquescreatedalouderormoreintensesound,suchas

withRavel’stremolo,andothertimesthetechniquescreatedaveryspecial,almostethereal,

farawaysound,suchaswithDebussy’sandGrieg’susesofsulponticello.

Ilistedtheseexamplesfortworeasons:firstly,tocompareandcontrastextendedstring

techniquesinquartetsthatprecededSchoenberg’sOp.7Quartetinordertoseepatternsin

howextendedstringtechniquesevolvedwithinchambermusic.Secondly,theseexamplesare

presentinordertodemonstratethatSchoenberg’sstringquartetisuniqueincomparisontoall

oftheaboveexamples,sinceSchoenbergusedmanymoretechniquesthroughouthisentire

Op.7StringQuartet,andalsomorevariedthewaysinwhichheusedthem.

IshowinChapter4howSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquestotransition

betweenthemesandformalsectionsofhisstringquartet,inadditiontoliquidatingmotivesand

creatinginterruptionstotheflow.However,inordertohavesomebackgroundinformation,

firstIprovideabriefbiographyofSchoenberg,aswellasintroducetheformoftheOp.7String

Quartet.

21

CHAPTER3

ABRIEFOVERVIEWOFARNOLDSCHOENBERG’S

LIFEANDHISOPUS7STRINGQUARTETNO.1INDMINOR

ThefirstsectionofthischapterisaglimpseintoSchoenberg’sbiographyand

compositionaloutput,presentinginformationthatIbelieveissignificantwhenexamining

extendedstringtechniquesinhisOp.7StringQuartet.Foramuchcloserlookathislife,letters,

writtenpublications,andhiscompositions,IhighlyrecommendvisitingtheArnoldSchönberg

Centerwebsite.31Thesecondsectionofthischapterwillgiveaformaloverviewofthestring

quartet,andshowwheretheextendedstringtechniquesexistinthequartet,beforelookingat

theseexamplesindetailinChapter4.

3.1ArnoldSchoenberg’sLifeandEarlyWorks:ABriefOverview

ArnoldSchoenbergwasbornonSeptember13,1874inVienna.BornintoaJewish

familywithmodestincomeandlimitedexposuretomusicaltraining,32Schoenbergbegan

studyingtheviolinatage8,andbeganteachinghimselftocomposeandarrangemusicaround

thesametime.33Throughouthisyoungadultyears,Schoenbergtaughthimselfcello,formedan

amateurstringquartetwithhisfriends,andlearnedaboutcompositionalformandharmony

31ArnoldSchönbergCenter,AccessedMarch16,2017,http://www.schoenberg.at/index.php/en.32O.W.Neighbour,"Schoenberg,Arnold,"GroveMusicOnline,OxfordMusicOnline,OxfordUniversityPress,accessedMarch14,2017,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/25024.33Ibid.

22

withtheassistanceofhisfriends,aswellasbyreadingencyclopediaarticlesonthesubjects.34

In1894,SchoenbergjoinedanamateurorchestraconductedbyAlexandervon

Zemlinsky,anesteemedcomposerandteacherwhobecameSchoenberg’slifelongfriend,and

hisonlyregularteacher.ZemlinskyalsobecameSchoenberg’sbrother-in-law,whenSchoenberg

marriedZemlinsky’ssisterMathildein1901.35

SchoenbergandZemlinskytaughttogetherinVienna,andSchoenberg’sprivate

studentsincludedAntonWebernandAlbanBerg.In1918,SchoenbergfoundedtheSocietyfor

PrivateMusicalPerformancesinVienna,anesteemedprivategroupthatwouldgivewell-

rehearsedperformancesofmodernmusictointerestedmembers,withoutthepressureof

pleasingthepressorthepublicaudience.Althoughthesocietywasshort-lived,inthreeyears,

theygave353performancesof154workswithin117concerts.36

Severalmonthsafterthepassingofhisfirstwife,Mathilde,SchoenbergmarriedGertrud

Kolisch,sisterofRudolfKolisch,oneofSchoenberg’spupils,andthefirstviolinistoftheKolisch

quartet.TheKolischquartetbecametheleadingquartetinperformanceofSchoenberg’s

chamberworks,andeventuallyrecordedallfourofhisstringquartetsaswell.37

AstheNazistookcontrolofthegovernmentinBerlin,SchoenbergreclaimedhisJewish

faithandhisfamilymovedtoBoston,whereheheldaoneyearteachingpositionattheMalkin

Conservatory.Hishealthdictatedthathewouldbemorecomfortablelivinginawarmer

climate,andhemovedwithhisfamilytoLosAngelesin1934,wherehegavelecturesat

34Ibid.35Ibid.36Ibid.37FredSteiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordingsoftheSchoenbergStringQuartet,”JournaloftheArnoldSchoenbergInstitute2(1978):124.

23

UniversityofSouthernCalifornia,andwasaprofessoratUniversityofCaliforniaatLos

Angeles.38HealthproblemslimitedSchoenberg’sworkandtravelinthe1940s,buthelivedto

seetheworldtakeinterestinhiscompositions,andhadthetimetopublishaseriesofhis

essaysandarticlesinhiscompilationofwritings,StyleandIdea.SchoenbergdiedonJuly15,

1951,inLosAngeles.

Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7wasoneofhisearlyworks,writtenbeforehe

completelymovedtoatonalcompositionandserialism.Unlikehislaterworks,these

compositionsarecenteredontonality(althoughtheydostrayfromtonalconventions),and

motivespermeatethecompositions.AscomposerandconductorPierreBoulezwrote,

Hisearliestworksareakindofintroductionthatincludesprophetictypesorpatternsinwhichhisidealandhisdemandsgraduallytakeshapeashecreatesfromthegenerallyacceptedlanguagealanguagethatisnotonlypersonalbuthighlyindividual,floodinghispolyphonywithaneverincreasingnumberofmotivesandgivingpreferencetomelodicratherthanthecoordinatingharmonicintervals.ThishadbeendonebeforebyBeethovenand,moreparticularly,byWagner,inwhosemusictherelationshipbetweenharmonyandcounterpointissostrainedthatitalmostreachesbreakingpoint.39

Schoenbergwasinspiredbypoetry,andmanyofhisearlyworkshaveprogrammatic

elements,suchasVerklärteNacht(1899),animmensesinglemovementcompositionbasedon

apoemofredemptionandforgivenessbyRichardDehmel.40Otherlarge-scalesinglemovement

piecesinthistime-periodincludehisStringQuartetNo.1,Op.7onwhichthispaperisfocused,

andtheKammersymphonie(1906),whichisalsoasingle-movementwork,butmuchmore

conciseinlengththanthequartet.

38O.W.Neighbour,"Schoenberg,Arnold".39PierreBoulez,andJeanJacquesNattiez,Orientations(Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,1986),327.40ForfurtherreadingonVerklarteNachtandSchoenberg’srelationstopoetRichardDehmel,see:RichardSwift,"1/XII/99:TonalRelationsinSchoenberg's"VerklärteNacht""19th-CenturyMusic1,no.1(1977):3-14.

24

Schoenbergmadeseveralattemptsatafirststringquartetbeforefinallypublishinghis

StringQuartetNo.1,Op.7inDMinorin1904.Lastingapproximately45minutesin

performance,itthelongestinstrumentalcompositionthathewrote.41Schoenbergprided

himselfonthefactthat,unlikemanyofhisotherearlyworks,thisquartetwasnotintendedto

beprogrammatic,althoughearlysketchesshowthathedidstarthisdraftsofthequartetwitha

programmaticimpulse,outliningbasicemotionstocoincidewitheachmovement.42

Schoenberg,inspiredbyBeethoven’sexpansiveThirdSymphony,wrotethatBeethoven’s

symphonyguidedhimon“howtoavoidmonotonyandemptiness,howtocreatevarietyoutof

unity,howtocreatenewformsoutofbasicmaterial,howmuchcanbeachievedbyslight

modificationsifnotbydevelopingvariationoutofoftenratherinsignificantlittleformulations.

OfthismasterpieceIlearnedalsoofthecreationofharmoniccontrastsandtheir

application.”43

Schoenberg’sbiographyhasimplicationsforhisStringQuartetOp.7.Thefactthathe

wasprimarilyself-taughtcouldbewhatledhimtoexperimentasmuchashedidwithstring

sonorities.Havingstudiedviolinandcellohimselfandplayingchambermusicfromayoungage,

hewasfamiliarwiththetechnicalaspectsofstringplaying.Hehimselfwasabletotrythe

extendedtechniqueshewantedtoapply,inordertodeterminewhatwaspossible,andhe

couldconsulttheprofessionalstringplayersheknewforadvice.Forexample,Schoenberg

41MarkBenson,"Schoenberg'sPrivateProgramfortheStringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7,"TheJournalofMusicology11,no.3(1993):376.42Ibid.,378-380.43Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins,Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,2016),359.

25

alwaysgavethemusicianstimetoputonandtakeoffmutesinthestringquartet,a

considerationthatothercomposersdidnotalwaysrender.44Hisdesiretoemancipate

dissonanceandexperimentwithtonality45couldcorrelatewiththeideaofcreatingnewsounds

throughextendedstringtechniquesinchambermusic.

3.2ABriefFormalAnalysisofSchoenberg’sStringQuartetNo.1inDMinor,Op.7

InordertounderstandthefunctionofextendedstringtechniquesinSchoenberg’sOp.7

stringquartet,anexplanationoftheuniqueformofthisquartetisnecessary.Theformfollows

thatofpreviouslargescaleworksofthe19thcentury,whereindividualmovementswere

distinctbutflowedtogetherwithoutpause.Schoenbergwrotethathewasinfluencedby

LudwigvanBeethoven’sStringQuartetinC#MinorOpus131,46whichalsohadnobreaks

betweenmovements,aswellasthelargescalesymphoniesofAntonBrucknerandGustav

Mahler.47

Withthisquartet,Schoenbergnotonlycreatedanuninterruptedworkthatstillhad

distinctmovements,butheadditionallyincorporatedalarge-scaleoverarchingsonataform

intothequartetthatstretchesacrossthesmallercontinuousmovements.FranzLisztinspired

thisideawithhisPianoSonatainB-minorS.178(1854),anotherworkinwhichacentralsonata

formissuperimposedovertheentirepiece,andmovementsarelessdistinguishable.

44Forexample,LeošJanáčekonlygaveaquarterrestoftimetoremoveamutebeforetheplayerhadtoresumeplayinginhisStringQuartetNo.1,anearlyimpossibletasktoexecute.45StephenHinton,"TheEmancipationofDissonance:Schoenberg’sTwoPracticesofComposition,"Music&Letters91,no.4(2010):568.46ThisalsohappenstobetheonlyquartetinwhichBeethovenusedsulponticello.47Steiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordings”,132.

26

Throughoutthispaper,Iwillrefertotheoverarchingformthatspansacrossthewholequartet

asthemacrolevelform,andtothemovementswithinthequartetasthemicrolevelform.

Schoenbergintroducedmotivesatthebeginningofthequartetthatappeared

throughoutthewholecomposition,andthroughtheprocessofdevelopingvariation,48these

motiveschangedtheirmood,harmony,character,andrhythmthroughoutthequartet.Froma

harmonicstandpoint,Schoenbergwouldoftentaketriadicprogressionsandaddchromatic

upperorlowerneighbortones,orjuxtaposeawholetonescaleontopofadiatonicscale,

resultinginadisintegrationofharmonies.Someofthislossoftonalbearingsisalsocausedby

whatSchoenbergreferredtoas“vagierendenAkkorden”,or“vagrantharmonies”,wherethe

musicisnotespeciallydissonant,buttheambiguityofharmoniescausestheworktolosetonal

definition.49Asaresultofthemanipulationofmotivesanddisintegrationofharmonies,Ifind

thatsomepassagesinthequartetsoundstrikinglytonalandlyrical,whileotherpassagesare

moredifficulttograspwithoutconsultingascore.ThequartetoutlinesthekeyofDminor,but

becausetheharmoniclanguagereachespointsofhighlyintensechromaticism,Ifinditisoften

easiertolatchontothebasicshapeofmotivesandthemesratherthanharmonicrelations

whenlisteningtothisquartet.

Withinthelarge-scalework,Schoenbergdividedhisquartetintofourmovements:a

sonataformfirstmovement,asecondmovementScherzo,aslowthirdmovement,anda

48Schoenbergdefinesdevelopingvariationas:"variationofthefeaturesofabasicunitproduc[ing]allthethematicformulationswhichprovideforfluency,contrasts,variety,logicandunity,ontheonehand,andcharacter,mood,expression,andeveryneededdifferentiation,ontheotherhand—thuselaboratingtheideaofthepiece"(ArnoldSchoenberg,StyleandIdea(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1985),397).49O.W.Neighbour."Schoenberg,Arnold."

27

Rondofinalefourthmovement.50Acrossthesecontinuousfourmovements,Schoenberg

intertwinedanoverarchingsonataformwithtwodevelopmentsandthreerecapitulationsthat

weaveacrossthesmallermovements.51Thefinalmovementculminatesinaclimacticpassage

ofliquidation,beforeintroducingacodawhichtiestogetherboththemicroformandthe

macroformwithasatisfyingDMajorending.

Thefollowingfigure(Figure7)isaformalmapofSchoenberg’squartet,basedonWalter

Frisch’sformaloverviewofthequartetinhisarticle,ThematicFormandtheGenesisof

Schoenberg’sD-MinorQuartet,Opus7.52

50Steiner,“AHistoryoftheFirstCompleteRecordings,”133.51WalterFrisch,“ThematicFormandtheGenesisofSchoenberg'sD-minorQuartet,Opus7,”JournaloftheAmericanMusicologicalSociety41,no.2(1988):292.52Ibid.

28

Exp,Dev1,Recap1 Dev2,Recap2 Recap3 Coda

FirstMovement:(Allegro)Nichtzurasch

Dminor[i]

SecondMovement:(Scherzo)Kräftig

Gbmajor[III]

ThirdMovement:Mässig

Aminor(v)

FourthMovement:Mässig

Amajor(V)withDMajorCoda(I)

ExpositionDevelopment1[measuresA100–B4][measuresC12–C20]Recapitulation1TransitiontoScherzo

ScherzoTransition[E124–F20]TrioTransition(/Dev2)[G5–G20]ScherzorepriseLiquidation/Transitiontothirdmovement

ASulPonticelloaccompaniment[K25–K30]BSulPonticellointerruption[K75–K76]A’SulPonticellomodulatoryepisode[L23–L33]

ABA’CA’’Liquidation[N81–N90]Coda

Figure7:AbriefformaloverviewofSchoenberg’sOp.7StringQuartet:thetoprowgivesthemacrolevelformofthework,whilethefourcolumnsdividetheworkintofourseparatemovements(microlevelform).Sectionsmarkedwithboldprintcontainextendedstringtechniques.(Exp=Exposition,Dev=Development,Recap=Recapitulation).Measurenumbersaregivenastherehearsalletter,andthenthemeasurenumberaftersaidrehearsalletter.

Iplacedaboldlinebetweenthesecondandthirdmovement,asSchoenberghimself

separatedthemovementswithafermata,whichisthelongestpausethatexistsinthequartet.

Also,thethematicmaterialchangescompletelyatthatpoint.Imarkedtheinstancesinwhich

extendedstringtechniquesoccurinboldonthemap.

Inthenextchapter,Ilookattheboldfaceditemsindetail,showingthatinstancesof

extendedstringtechniquesrevealthatthetechniquesappearonlyindevelopments,

29

transitions,interruptions,andliquidationpassagesofthequartet,butnotinformallystable

areasofthequartet,suchastheexpositions,recapitulations,orstatementsofsmaller

movementthemes.IshowhowSchoenbergiseffectiveindistortinganddisintegrating

motives,thereforedisintegratingtonality,andbringinginnovativesonoritiesintothestring

quartetgenrethroughtheuseofextendedstringtechniques.Icomparehisapplicationof

extendedstringtechniquestothewaycomposersbeforehimusedthetechniques,andfinally,

inChapter5,I lookatthewayextendedstringtechniquesdevelopedinchambermusicafter

Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7waswritten.

30

CHAPTER4

PASSAGESOFEXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUESWITHIN

SCHOENBERG’SOPUS7QUARTET

InChapter3,Istatedthatextendedstringtechniquesoccurduringunstableand

transitionalformalsectionsofSchoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7.Thischaptertakesthatidea

furtherbyexaminingthesevenmostpronouncedinstancesofextendedstringtechniques

whichIhearinthecomposition.Iorganizedtheseexamplesbythemannerinwhich

Schoenbergusedtheextendedtechniques.First,Ishowanexamplewhereextendedstring

techniquesamplifyordrawattentiontoamotive(Section4.1).Next,Idescribehow

Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquestocreatecontrastandinterrupttheflowofthe

form(Section4.2).Finally,Iportrayhowheusedextendedstringtechniquesinan

unprecedentedway:toobscuremotivesinliquidationsections(Section4.3).Measurenumbers

aregivenastherehearsalletter,andthenthemeasurenumberaftersaidrehearsalletter,asis

doneintheBerlin:VerlagDreililienscore(mostrecentlyreprintedbyDoverPublications).53I

havetranscribedtherelatedmusicalexamplesintothispaper,butforamorethoroughviewing

andunderstandingofthesetechniqueswithinthecontextoftheentirecomposition,I

recommendreadingthischapterwiththefullquartetscore.

53Schoenberg,Arnold,StringQuartetNo.1Op.7.Mineola:DoverPublications,1997.

31

4.1 UsingTremolotoAmplifytheFirstSubordinateTheme

AsImentionedinChapter3,Schoenbergoftenpresentedamotivefromamyriadof

angles,andmanipulatedthemotivethroughthetechniqueofdevelopingvariation.Inthis

example,Schoenbergdevelopedamotiveandultimatelyusedtremolotointensifyandamplify

thede-familiarizationofthefirstsubordinatetheme.

Thefirstsubordinatetheme,amotivethuslabeledbySchoenberghimself,54isfirstseen

inmm.A61–A63.Initsmostbasicform,thethemeconsistsofsixclimbingnotes:threestep-

wisenotes,aleapofaperfectfourth,andthenthreemorestep-wisenotes.Theexamplebelow

(Figure8)showstheinitialoccurrenceofthefirstsubordinatetheme,portrayedinoctavesby

thefirstandsecondviolin.

Figure8:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A61–A63.

Theuseofsemitonesinthisfigureisfascinating,andevolvesthroughoutthe

54Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,359.

32

presentationofthemotive,markedineachfigurewithacaret(^).

Initsinitialform,thesecondviolinpart(betweenitsinnervoiceinm.A61anditsouter

voiceinm.A62)outlinesaCscalewithaflat6th.Thisisadiatonicline,withsemitonesbetween

thethirdandfourth,andfifthandsixthtones(shownmorecloselyinFigure8b).Meanwhile,

thecello’smaterialiscompletelychromatic,withsemitonesbetweeneachnote.This

concurrenceofsemitonessetsupatonalharmonieswithinthemotive,andforeshadowsthe

importanceofsemitonesasthemotiveprogresses.

Figure8b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A61–A62,reductiontoshowsemitones.

Tenmeasureslater,thissubordinatethemedevelopsintoamelodyincompoundmeter.

Schoenberglabeledthismelody“asecondsubordinatetheme,derivedfrom[thefirst

subordinatetheme]”.55Here,inFigure9,thesecondviolinplaysthesecondsubordinate

theme:

55Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,361.

33

Figure9:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,m.A71

Thesecondsubordinatethemedevelopsverynaturallyoutofthefirstsubordinate

theme;themaindifferenceisthatthemotiveisnowamelody,withrhythmicvariationanda

diatonicaccompanimentintheviolaandcello,insteadofchromaticharmoniesfromitsfirst

occurrenceinFigure8.Whilethefirstsubordinatethemeseemstoreadmorevertically,asa

seriesofblockchords,thesecondsubordinatetheme(Figure9),withitsrhythmicvariationand

accompanimentintheviola,hasthesensationofalyricalmelody.

Throughouttheexposition,bothversionsofthissubordinatethemeshowup,in

ascending,descending,orinvertedform.InthecaseofFigure10below,thesubordinatetheme

manifestsitselfinallthreedifferentwaysatthesametime.Thefirstviolinplaysthesecond

themefromthemacroform,56butusingtherhythmofthesecondsubordinatetheme.

Meanwhile,thesecondviolinandviolaplaythethemeindiminution,andthecelloplaysan

inversionofthesubordinatetheme.

56ThesecondthemethatIamreferringfirstappearedinm.A57,playedbythefirstviolin:

34

Figure10:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A83–A84.

Astheabovefiguresshow,thissubordinatethemecontinuallydevelopsfromitsinitial

presentationinmm.A61-A63(Figure8),tothelyricalrepresentationofthetheme(Figure9),

totheinvertedanddiminutiveversionsofthetheme(Figure10).Thismotiveamplifiesand

completelytakesoverintheculminatingtremolopassagethatfollows(Figure11).

35

Figure11(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A96-B14

36

Figure11(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.A96-B14

AsshowninFigure11,thethemestartssoftlyintheinnervoicesinm.A96;itisthe

mostbasicformofthethemeinhalfnotetriplets,similartotheoriginalversionofthemotive

showninFigure8.Thistime,however,themotiveismoreresolute,continuingpastitstwo-bar

iterationintheviola,and,asthemotivebecomesevenmoreinsistent,theviolabeginsplaying

akernelofthemotiveindiminutionwithtremoloinm.A100.Intensitybuildswithrepetition

andcrescendoinallofthevoices,andfinally,inm.A103,alloftheinstrumentsplaythefirst

subordinatethemeinunisoninafortissimotremolo,completelyinterruptingeverythingelse

°

¢

°

¢

Vln. I

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

winding down to the next section

p

rit.

Viel langsamer

p

B13

fp

p

fp p

p

Vln. I

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

B18

&

b ∑

&

b ∑

. . . . . .

∑

Bb

∑

. . . . . .

∑

?

b

B

. . . . . .

∑

&

b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

&

b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

Bb

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

Bb

∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

Œ

œn ™œ

j

œ™ œb

j

œ∫œb

Œ

œn ™œ#

J

˙n ™

˙bœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙bœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ

Œ

œn™ œ

j

œ ™œb

J

œ∫œb

œ œ œ œ œ œ

37

thatwashappening.Fromthere,theinnervoicescontinuerepeatingthesubordinatetheme,

anditsinversion,addingintensityuntilSchoenbergtransitionedtoanewsectionandtempo,

VielLangsamer,inm.B14.

Duringthemeasureofamplification,thesemitonesareonthefirsttwonotesandthe

finaltwonotesofthemotive,makingthemotivecompletelysymmetricalintermsofits

intervals.Theamplification,throughtheuseoftremolo,drawsattentiontothesemitone

alterationsofthismotive,whichtheinnervoicescontinuetoplayinfortissimountilm.B4.By

creatingsymmetryinthemotive,addingfortissimo,andinstructingtheuseoftremoloinall

fourinstruments,Schoenbergbroughtcompleteattentiontothede-familiarizationofthis

motivebeforewindingdowntothenextsection.Frischlabeledthefirstdevelopmentas

beginninginm.B1,57directlyafterthemeasureoftremoloamplification,makingitclearthat

Schoenbergusedthetremolointransitioningfromtheendoftheexpositiontothis

development.

4.2 ExtendedStringEffectsinTransitionalPassagesduringtheMiddleMovements

AmajorityoftheextendedstringtechniquesinthisworkappearinSchoenberg’smiddle

movements,whicharethescherzoandtheslowthirdmovement.Thefollowingexamplesshow

howSchoenberginterruptedtheflowofthequartetinordertodrawattentiontoharmonics,

collegno,consordino,andsulponticello,andhowhecontinuedtousethesetechniques

specificallyintransitionalpassagesduringthequartet.

57WalterFrisch,“ThematicFormandtheGenesisofSchoenberg'sD-minorQuartet,Opus7”,JournaloftheAmericanMusicologicalSociety41,no.2(1988):289–314.

38

4.2.1 HarmonicsandconsordinotoCreateContrastandChromaticismintheSecond

MovementTransition:mmE128–F10

TheexamplebelowoccursintheScherzosecondmovement,wherethethemeisstated

firmlyinfortissimowithaccentsinm.E128,andthenechoedinpianissimowithharmonicsin

m. E130,andfinishedwithafortissimocadence(mm.E133–E134).Theharmonicsare

bookendedwithfermatasoneachside,drawingevenmoreattentiontothedifferenceinsound

(Figure12).

Figure12(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–F10

39

Figure12:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–F10

LookingmorecloselyatthechordsoutlinedinthefermatasbetweenE128andE134,it

becomesclearthattheharmonicsaremovingchromaticallydowntothecadenceinthetonic,

Gbmajor,asshowninFigure12b.

Figure12b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.E128–E134,harmonicreduction

AftertheGbMajorcadenceinm.E128,thefirstfermatasustainsanAbminorchord

(m.E130),thefermatawithharmonicssustainsaGmajorchord(m.E132),andthefollowing

cadencegoesbacktothetonic(m.E134).BeinginthekeyofGbmajor,theharmonicsstand

outasbeingchromaticupperneighborstothetonic.Foramoment,Schoenbergseemstohave

40

suspendedthetonality,leavingamysteriouschordhoveringintheairwithharmonics,before

movingbacktothetonic.TheGmajorchordtransitionschromaticallyfromthepredominant

Abchord,disintegratingtheharmonywithchromaticismandharmonics,andthenmovesback

tothehomekeyofGbmajor.Schoenbergusedharmonicstotransitiontothetonickey,a

small-scalevariationofhisuseofextendedstringtechniquestotransitionbetweenformal

sectionsofthequartet.

Thesecondhalfofthisexamplecontinuesthechromaticdescentthatbeganinm.E130.

Figure12cshowshowthechromaticismcontinuesuntilm.F9.

Figure12c:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,harmonicreductionofmm.F1–F9

ThekeychangesfromGbmajortotherelativeenharmonicminor(F#minor),andthen

downtoFminor.ThebasslinealsohasastepwisechromaticdescentfromD#downtoC

natural.Schoenbergcontinuedthechromaticlinethroughtheharmonicsandtothecon

sordinosection,usingthestringeffectstode-familiarizethekeyareasuntilthetonalityisno

longerclear.Themutedsectioncontinuesfor30measures,58actingasadisjunctinterruption

betweentheScherzosectionandthetriosection,whichbeginsinm.F30.

58Iprovidedafewmeasuresoftheconsordinomaterialtoshowtheeffect.Thecompleteviewingofthissectionisavailableinpgs.32-33oftheDoverscore.

41

Thesetwospecialeffectsoccurwithinmerely10measuresofeachother,and,again,

duringatransitionalsection.Theharmonicsdelaythereturntotonality,andtheconsordino

materialiswanderingandtransitory,withoutmuchhintofformalcoherenceorkey.Thecellois

absentwhilemostofthesespecialeffectsoccur,oritisinitsupperregister,implyingalossof

foundationduringthispassage.

4.2.2 Collegno,Harmonics,andsulponticello:MeasuresG5-G27

Thenextexample,apassagethatoccursbetweentheTrioandRepriseintheScherzo

movement,combinestheuseofcollegnoandharmonicstocreateanepisodethatstandsout

fromitssurroundingmaterial(Figure13).

42

Figure13(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.G–G37

43

Figure13(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.G–G34

44

ThepassagehereismarkedFlüchtig,or“fleeting”,andbeginswithamelodyplayedin

harmonicsbythesecondviolin,whiletheviolaplayscollegnointerjections,andthefirstviolin

flitsaroundthemelody(m.G5–G9).Rolesarereversedinm.G13–G14,withthefirstviolin

playingharmonicsandthecellistplayingcollegno.Thewholesectionismarkedpianissimo,

givingamysteriousauratotheFlüchtigpassage.

AlthoughthispassageisclearlyinthekeyofEmajor,thecelloisalwaysplayingawhole-

toneversionofthescherzomotive,exceptinm.G13–G14whenitplaysthechromaticcol

legnointerjection,andtheviolatakesoverthewhole-tonematerial.Eachstringtechniquehas

arole,astheharmonicsoutlineEMajor,thecollegnointerjectionaddschromaticism,andthe

ordinariomaterialoutlinesthewholetonescale.Atm.E18thecelloplaysasulponticelloE

naturalthattriggersatransitiontothenextsection,whereafragmentofthewhole-tone

motivecompletelytakesoverinallvoices.Thereisagreatdealofdissonanceinthewhole-tone

takeover.Aseachvoiceplaysitsownwholetonescale,thestackedpitchesproduceaseriesof

augmentedchordsthatdisintegratethetonalityfortheremainderofthepassage.

Regardingthesoundoftheextendedstringtechniques,theharmonicsarearemarkable

changetothesoundthatwehaveheardsofarinthesecondmovement,attainingthe

“mysterioussoftness”and“fairy-likenature”aboutwhichBerliozspokeinhistreatiseon

instrumentation.59Thislighteningintimbreimpliesadeparturefromtherealworld,withthe

simpleandsoftmelodysuggestingperhapsatemporaryescapeintoachildlikedreamworld.

Thecollegnoaddsbitetothesweetnatureoftheharmonics,andthepizzicatoalsoaddsa

59AscitedinChapter2,HectorBerliozandMaryCowdenClarke.ATreatiseonModernInstrumentationandOrchestration,21.

45

sharptimbretotheoverallsoundscape.Theeffectsseemtobeplayfulinnature,andbecause

Schoenbergstackedsomanytechniquesontopofeachotherintoonepassage,Ibelievethat

hemustbeexperimentingwithnewsoundswithinthestringquartetgenre,justasFarinahad

experimentedwiththestringinstrument’scapabilitiesinCapricioStravagante.Iwillshowin

Chapter5thatAlbanBergandBélaBartókalsousedseveraldifferentextendedstring

techniqueswithinonepassage,perhapsdrawingattentionawayfrommotivesandthematic

developmentinordertofocusonthesoundsofthesetechniques.

Whentheordinariosoundreturns,thelistenerisbroughtbackintotherealworld.After

asmallcrescendowithsulponticellotremolointhecelloinmeasureG18,themainmotiveof

thesecondmovementtakesoveranddisintegratesbeforeleadingtotherepriseofthescherzo.

ItistellingthatSchoenbergusedtheseeffectsinthetransitionalsectionbeforethereprise.He

seemstostrayasfarawayashecaninsoundbeforede-familiarizingthemotivesinthe

disintegrationinmm.G28–G34.

46

4.2.3 SulPonticellointerruptionsinthethirdmovement:measuresK72–K77andmeasuresL

24–L33

Schoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesmostfrequentlyinhisthirdmovement.

Notonlyishalfofthemovementconsordino,butpassagesofsulponticelloarecompletely

separatefromtherestofthemovement,andbookendedwithsilenceonbothends.The

passagesofsulponticellodonotdirectlyrelatetowhatcamebeforethem,orafter,andinstead

actaseerieinterruptionstothetrajectoryofthethirdmovement.

Inthefirstexample,measuresK72-77(Figure14),abriefinterludeinsulponticello

interruptsthemelodioustonalwritingfromtheprecedingpassage(Figure14).

47

Figure14:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.K73–K77

&&B?

# # # ## # # ## # # ## # # #

812

812

812

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Violin I

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œn œ œn .œn œn œ .œn .œ œ œ ≈

f

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# # # ## # # ## # # ## # # #

Vln. I

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

2

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œ œ œ

œ Jœn œ œ œn œ jœ œ œ œ.œ .œ œ œ œn œ .œ œn œ Jœ&

.œ .œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ œn JœB

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cresc.

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48

Theintensitybuildsbeforethesulponticellointerruption,butafermatacausesthe

melodytocometoahalt,asifthemusicisdisturbedmid-sentence.Themelodyoftheshort

interruptionisintheviola,anditechoestheBthemeofthemovement.However,inthe

originalpresentationofthistheme,thekeywassolidlyEmajor.Thistime,themelodyisine

minor,asemitonelowerthanitwaspreviously,withchromaticintervalsshowingupinevery

voiceexceptfortheviolamelody.Thepianissimo,thechromaticism,andtheunisonsul

ponticellogivethismaterialacompletelydifferentqualityfromthataroundit.Thefourvoices

createahomophonictextureinthestyleofachorale.Thisisaverystrangechorale,however,

becauseallfourinstrumentsplayonthebridge,withdissonance,asifthisismerelythe

memoryofachorale,withthesulponticellotaintingwhatwasonceabeautifulmelody.This

juxtapositioncreatesaprominentcontrastbetweenthecoldsoundofthesulponticello,and

thewarmandrichsoundofthestringsbeforethesulponticellooccurs.Thecontrastrecalls

thedifferencesbetweentherestrainedsoundofsulponticellocomparedtothetypicalsinging

stringsound.Afterthesulponticellointerruption,anotherfermataclosesthesection,andthe

violabeginsplayingthelyricalmelodyagain,asifthesulponticelloepisodehadnever

happened.

4.2.4 ModulatoryEpisode:Mm.L22–L38

Schoenbergreferredtothesulponticellotransitionofthismovement(Figure15),asthe

49

modulatoryepisode,anditbridgestothemacro-levelrecapitulation.60Thisepisodeislonger

andmorecomplexthanthesulponticellointerruptionfromthepreviousexample(Figure14),

andthistimeitisalsocombinedwithtremolo.Whereasthefirstinstanceofsulponticello

completelyinterruptedthemelody,inthiscasethereisaclearwindingdownandsolidcadence

inEmajorbeforethesulponticellomodulatoryepisodeoccurs.

Figure15(pg.1of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.L22–L38

60Schoenberg,Arnold,andJ.DanielJenkins.Schoenberg'sprogramnotesandmusicalanalyses,361.

50

Figure15(pg.2of2):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.L22–L38

Inm.L23,alltheinstrumentsrestexceptfortheviola,whichhangsontoitsG#,the

thirdoftheEMajorchord.ThispitchchangesfunctiontobecomeAbinthenextmeasure,the

thirdofanFminorchord,thenewkeyforthebeginningofthemodulatoryepisode.Thefirst

violinandviolaplayoneofthemainmotivesfromthethirdmovementinoctaves,whilethe

celloimitatesthemelodyonebarlater.Meanwhile,thesecondviolinaddstremolotrillstothe

51

texture.Thissection,althoughbeginninginpianissimo,buildsupintensityandhasasudden

outbursttoforte,beforewindingbackdowntopianissimoinm.L31,andfinallypianississimo

inm.L33.

Afterthispassage,Schoenberginstructedtheplayerstoremovethemutes,andthe

thirdmovementisessentiallyover,overshadowedbythereturnofthemacroform

recapitulation,showingthatthisepisodewasaneffectivetransitionbetweenformalsections.

Schoenbergusedapassageofextendedstringtechniquestodisorientthelistener;after

oneofthemosttonalpassagesofthequartet,herattledthemovementwiththesulponticello

episodeinordertotransitiontothemoredissonantrecapitulation,showingthattheblisshe

createdinthethirdmovementwasonlytemporary.Schoenberg’suseofextendedstring

techniquesinthiscasenotonlyaddedahauntingcolorandcharactertothethirdmovement,

butalsocreatedatransitionbetweentheformalsections,movingfromthethirdmovementto

themacrolevelrecapitulation.

ThisuseofsulponticellorecallsGrieg’suseofthetechniqueinhisStringQuartetNo.1

(Figure4).Inbothcases,thereisawindingdownofthemusicalmaterial,asilencebeforethe

sulponticellopassage,andatransitionafterwards(InGrieg’squartet,tothePrestofinaleofthe

movement,andinSchoenberg’squartettothemacro-levelRecapitulation).

4.3MuddlingtheMotives:TremoloTransitiontoSultastoLiquidation

Inthefinaltwoexamples,Schoenbergusedtremoloandextremitiesinbowingcontact

points(sultastoinexample4.3.1,andsulponticelloinexample4.3.2),toliquidateoneofthe

52

recurringmotivesinthequartet.

4.3.1FirstLiquidation:Mm.C10–C30

Throughoutthequartet,thereisamotivethatessentiallytriggersadisintegrationof

tonality,andoftenleadstoliquidationpassagesaswell.ScholarSeverineNeffcalledthemotive

itselfaliquidation,61butIwillrefertothemotiveas“Motivex”.Highlychromatic,and

descendingwithaseriesofleaps,thismotiveiseasilyrecognizablewhenitfirstappearsinthe

openingofthequartet(Figure16).

Figure16:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.8-10,motiveX

MotiveXisbasedonaseriesofintervallicsequences.Thefirstviolincombinesa

chromaticallydescendingline(markedinsquaresbelowinFigure16b)withathree-note

intervalsetthatlowersaminorthird,andthenlowersonesemitone(thepitchesarecircledin

61SeverineNeff,“Aspectsof"Grundgestalt"inSchoenberg’sFirstStringQuartet,op.7”.TheoryandPractice9no.1/2(1988):8.

53

Figure16b).Theviolahasasimilarpattern,raisingaminorthird,andthenloweringasemitone.

Thesecondviolinhasaninversionofthatintervallicstructure,loweringamajorsixth,andthen

risingonesemitone.Thecellohasarisingline,alternatingbetweenperfectfourthsandmajor

thirds,intervalsthatarenotsharedbytheothervoices.Alltheselinescreateharmonyclashes

whenplayedtogether,andallowforquickdisintegrationoftonality.

Figure16b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.8-10,intervallicsequenceswithinmotiveX

Ifindthismotive,withitsoff-kilterrhythmandchromaticmakeup,tobeadrivingforce

ofdisintegrationinthequartet,and,asIwillshow,itendsupdrivingthequartetintoboth

liquidationsectionsinthepiece.

Leadingintothefirstliquidationsection,motivexappearsinmeasureC9,intheviola

andcellopart(Figure17):

54

Figure17:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C9–C11,motivexintheviolaandcello

Onceagain,motivexshowsadescendingchromaticline.Therhythmisnowaugmented

andmoreemphaticthanitwasinitsoriginalappearanceinFigure16.Thistimethemotiveis

amplifiedwithtwovoicesinoctavesinsteadofjustonevoice.Whilethefirstappearanceofthe

motivewasslurredandrapid,thistimeeachnoteisdeliberate,withanaccentedpunch.

Thefollowingexampleshowsthedevelopmentofmotivexfrommm.C10–C30.The

musicbuildstoafortissimooutburst,immediatelysuppressesintoasultastoandtremolo

transition,andthenmovesintothedissonantliquidation.Fortheentireduration,themusicis

focusedexclusivelyonthisonemotive(Figure18).

55

Figure18(pg.1of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30

°

¢

°

¢

°

¢

Violin 1

Violin II

Viola

Violoncello

C10

f

ff

motive x (augmented rhythm)

f

ff

motive x (augmented rhythm)

motive x (augmented rhythm)

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

motive x (augmented rhythm)

ff dim... p

am Griffbrett

Sul tasto and tremolo section

pp ppp

motive x (twice as fast)

C13

ff dim...

p

am Griffbrett

pp ppp

dim... p

am Griffbrett

pp ppp

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

motive x (even faster- original form)

ordinario (end sul tasto)

rit.

ein wenig langsamer (a little slower)

p

liquidation of motive x

C18

ordinario (end sul tasto) p

ordinario (end sul tasto) p

p

&

b

3

&

b

3

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56

Figure18(pg.2of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30

°

¢

°

¢

°

¢

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

pp

C21

pp

mp

mp

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

mp

C23

mf

mf

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

cresc.

mf cresc.

C25

mf cresc.

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f

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f

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2

57

Figure18(pg.3of3):StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C10–C30

Intheabovefigure,thefirstviolinclimbsandreachesapeakatthehighB6abovethe

staff(m.C13),andsustainsthepitchwhiletheotherthreevoicesfuriouslyplaymotivex,the

°

¢

°

¢

°

¢

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

f

pp cresc.

C27

f

pp cresc.

pp cresc.

pp cresc.

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

bescleunigend (accel.)

Sehr rasch.

(quick)

ff

end of liquidation

C29

ff

ff

ff

Vln. 1

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

sf ff ff

End of section (Schoenberg

indicates a double line in his

score)

C31

sf ff ff

sf ff

sf ff

&

b

&

b

Bb

&

B

?

b

B ?

&

b

&

b

Bb

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B

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3

58

secondviolinandviolainaugmentationwithfortissimodynamicandtremolobowing,andthe

celloinitsoriginalrhythm.Arapiddecrescendofrommm.C13-16bringsthedynamicfrom

fortissimotopianississimo,andallthreevoicesbeginplayingtremoloandsultastoinm.C15.

Atthispoint,allflowofthequartetseemstocompletelyhaltinapassagethatistrueto

Schoenberg’sdefinitionofliquidation.Allothermotivesandmelodiesdisappear,andmotivex

isrepeatedinsistentlyinpianississimo,sultasto,andtremolo,creatinganetherealandother-

worldlyaffect,asifthesoundeffectsofsultastoandtremolotriggeredamoveintoatotally

differentrealm.Theviolinsplaymotivexinthirdsfromeachother,asdotheviolaandcello,

andonesetofinstrumentsrisewiththemotiveastheothersetofinstrumentsdescend.The

compoundmelodyisoutliningbothachromaticscaleandawholetonescaleatthesametime.

InFigure18b,thewholetonescaleiscircled,whiletheremainingnotesaredescendingand

thenascendingchromatically.

Figure18b:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.C20–C21,wholetoneandchromaticscalesinmotivex.

Thisdisintegrationoftheoriginalformofmotivexisasmallscaleliquidation,whileona

largescale,theformalstructureliquidationtakesplace.Ifindthatthedissonanceofthevoices

movingagainsteachother,thelackofdownbeat,andthelackofcadences,makesthisan

extremelydisorientingpassagetohear,aswellastoplay.Frommm.C20-C30,thereisno

senseofrhythmandverylittleindicationofphrasing.Thecello,thefoundationofthestring

59

quartet,isabsentfromthispassagefortheentiredurationofthesultasto,justasitwasin

example4.2.1,anditplaysinthehigherpartofitsregisterduringmostoftheconsequent

passage,implyingthatanysenseofgroundingorfoundationisgonewhilethestringeffects

occur.AnaccelerandoandcrescendostartingatC28bringthequartetbacktolife,andsetthe

stagefortherecapitulationofthesecondthemegroup.

Thesultastotechniquemufflesthesound,causingmotivextoloseevenmoreofits

definitionduringtheliquidation.Thispassageoccursinthefirstmovementofthequartet,and

inthenextexample,thefinalliquidationpassagebeforethecoda,Schoenbergusesmany

similarfeaturesashedoeshere,perhapschannelingamemoryofthismomentbefore

concludingthework.

4.3.1 UnleashingtheFury:SulponticellointheFinalLiquidation

Thefinalliquidation(Figure19),closesoffoneofthemostformallyclearsectionofthe

quartet,therondofourthmovement,andleadstothecoda,abeautifulclosingsectionthatties

thewholequartettogetherwithaclosingsectioninthekeyofDMajor.

60

Figure19:StringQuartetinDMinorOp.7byArnoldSchoenberg,mm.N80–O

61

MusicologistMarkBensonobservedinhisarticle,“Schoenberg’sPrivateProgramforthe

StringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7”,thatthefourthmovementofthequartetissecurelyinA

major,andthecodaisinDmajor.Itwouldbeaverysimplemodulationtotransitiontothe

coda,butinstead,Schoenberginterruptedthefinalcadenceoftherondowithanexplosive

liquidationpassage.Bensonwrote,“Thedisruptionsinharmony,tempo,tonecolor(amSteg),

playingtechnique(tremolo)andrhythmicfigurationallbutobliterateanyrelationshipbetween

thetwosections.”62

ThequoteaboveistheonlywrittenreferencetoSchoenberg’suseofextendedstring

techniquesthatIcouldfind,anditdescribeshowextendedstringtechniquesenhancethis

liquidationpassage.

AsseeninFigure20,thereisanAmajorchordatthebeginningofm.N79,whichmoves

onthethirdbeattoafortissimoCMajorchord,aI-IIImovethatmirrorsSchoenberg’smove

fromdminorinthefirstmovementtoGbmajorinthesecondmovement.Fromthere,thenext

chordisaC#minorchordthatcatapultsusintotheatonalrealmoftheliquidation,which

beginswithaGminorchordinthemiddlevoicescombinedwiththeexpectednoteAinthe

outervoices.ThetemporeducestoViellangsamer,andahair–raisingandchromaticsul

ponticellopassagefollows.Asthecrescendoincreasestofortississimo,thesulponticelloceases,

andallfourvoicesplaywithfurioustremolo(mm.N84–N86).

Inthisinstance,theinnerpartofMotivexisnolongeroutliningawholetonescale,but

62MarkBenson,"Schoenberg'sPrivateProgramfortheStringQuartetinDMinor,Op.7,”394.

62

isinsteadoutliningthirds,andthepassageendswithafirstviolinsolo:astringofthirdsthat

descendsbacktothehomekeyofD.

ThispassageliquidatesthechromaticMotivex,justasthepreviousliquidationpassage

did(example4.3.1),butthistimethemotiveisplayedsulponticelloinsteadofsultasto.While

example4.3.1movesintoapassageofdissonantwanderingthroughthewholetonescale,this

timethemusicrisesandfallsinthirds,andsettlesintotheD-Majorcoda,reconcilingany

tensionthatwasleftoverfromthefirstliquidationinthequartet.Schoenbergwenttoboth

extremitiesofbowinginhisliquidationpassages,fromthemutedsoftsoundsofthe

fingerboardtotheharshsoundsofthebridge,beforemakingthefinaldescentandresolution

intothecoda.

Beethovenwroteahushedsulponticelloepisodebeforemovingtothetriumphant

endingofhisOp.131StringQuartet,andGriegalsowroteapeacefulanddreamlikesul

ponticellopassageinhisStringQuartetNo.1beforefinishingthemovementwithfullvigor.Ina

verysimilarvein,Schoenbergeffectivelybuiltuptheultimatetensioninhissulponticelloand

tremololiquidationpassage,andthenreleasedthetensionwithaserenecodathatconcluded

thequartet.

PerhapsthefactthatSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesinsuchavarietyof

waysisevidenceofhiscompositionalgenius.SometimesSchoenbergseemedtouseextended

stringtechniquestodrawattentiontothemotivesorthemes,suchasusingtremolotoamplify

themotive,orusingtremoloandsulponticellointhemodulatoryepisode.Inotherexamples,

suchasintheliquidationpassages,heseemedtousetheextendedstringtechniquesto

63

obscuretheclarityofthemotives.

Theoneaspectthatallthesepassagesofextendedstringtechniquesincludeisthe

motionofajourney,ratherthanasturdyarrival.Schoenbergaddedthetechniquesinsections

whichweretransitioning,suchastheconsordinopassagebeforetheScherzo’strio,orinthe

liquidationbeforethecoda.Incontrast,whengivingtheinitialpresentationofathemeor

motiveinathematicsectionthatisnotatransition,Schoenbergusedthetypicalhumansound

ofthestringinstruments.ThejourneyofwhichIspeakcanhavedifferentpurposes;the

harmonicsinthesecondmovementimplyadeparturefromthesurroundingheavinessofthe

movement,asdoesthesulponticellointerruptioninthethirdmovement,whereasthetremolo

amplificationinthefirstmovementgivesadrivingforcetowardsthenewthematicsection.

Theextendedstringtechniquesadditionallyimplyajourneyintonality,asthemotives

andharmonicprogressionssurroundingtheextendedstringtechniquesseemtode-familiarize

thetonalcenter,suchaswhentheharmonicsde-familiarizedthekeyinexample4.2.1,orwhen

theliquidationsectionsdisintegratedmotivex(examples4.3.1and4.3.2).Whileonalarge

scaletheextendedstringtechniquescatapultafragmentationoftheformalstructure,ona

smallscalethepassagesofextendedstringtechniquesalsoshowadissolutioninmusical

language.ThenumberofwaysinwhichSchoenbergusedextendedstringtechniquesinthis

quartetandthedepthinwhichheusedthemisunprecedentedinchambermusicupuntilthis

point.

Thenextchapterlooksattheuseofextendedstringtechniquesbyothercomposersin

the20thcentury,afterSchoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7waspublishedandperformed,

64

showingthatSchoenberg’streatmentofextendedstringtechniqueshadaneffectonhispupil,

AlbanBerg,and,consequently,onBélaBartók.

65

CHAPTER5

DRAWINGALINEAGEFROMSCHOENBERGTOBARTÓK:EXTENDEDSTRINGTECHNIQUESIN

CHAMBERMUSICAFTER1905

FromexaminingtheseveralpassagesofextendedstringtechniquesinSchoenberg’sfirst

quartet,onecanseethatSchoenbergbreaksgroundinthechambermusicgenrewithregardto

thenumberofextendedstringtechniqueswithinonework,aswellasthevarietyofstring

techniqueswithinonework.Inthischapter,IdiscussthedirectlinethatIseefrom

Schoenberg’searlystringquartetstoAlbanBerg’sstringquartets,toBélaBartók’sstring

quartets.

AlbanBerg,anAustrianComposerwhowasoneofSchoenberg’spremierpupils,studied

closelywithSchoenbergfrom1904-1911,63sohewasastudentatthetimethatSchoenberg’s

StringQuartetOp.7waswritten,published,andperformed.Berg’sStringQuartetOp.3,

composedin1910,wasoneofthefinalworksthathewrotewhilestudyingwithSchoenberg.It

isnotsurprising,consideringthattheyworkedtogethersocloselyduringthistime,thatBerg

continuedinSchoenberg’spathbyaddingextendedstringtechniquestohischambermusic.

Schoenberg’sOp.7quartet,althoughsometimesstrayingfromtonality,isstillatonal

composition.Ontheotherhand,Berg’sOp.3quartetisatonal,withanambiguousformal

63DouglasJarman,"Berg,Alban,"GroveMusicOnline,OxfordMusicOnline,OxfordUniversityPress,accessedMarch18,2017,http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/02767.

66

structure.Adornodescribedthisquartetasthe“liquidationofthesonata”.64Becausethis

quartetdoesnothavethesameformaloutlineandtonalfoundationasSchoenberg’sOp.7

quartet,IfindthatBergusedextendedstringtechniquesdifferentlythanSchoenbergdid.

Specifically,Berg’sextendedstringtechniqueseitherdistinguishbetweenthemelodyand

accompaniment,orcreateanewsoundscapethatderivesfromvariousextendedstring

techniquesoccurringatthesametime.

InFigure20,apassagefromthefirstmovementofBerg’sOp.3quartet,theviolaand

cellohaveabitingstaccatoandsulponticelloaccompaniment,whiletheviolinshavealyrical

andsustainedsultastophrase.Whentheviolamovestosustainednotesinm.45,italso

changesfromsulponticellotosultasto.Similarly,whenthecellofinishestheaccompaniment

andtransitionstoamoreflowingphrase,Berginstructsthecellisttomovebacktoordinary

bowing.

Figure20:StringQuartetOp.3byAlbanBerg,Firstmovement,mm.41-47

64BenedictTaylor,"BergandModernity:Ambivalence,Synthesis,andRemakingofTraditionintheStringQuartetOp.3,"StudiaMusicologica50,no.1/2(2009):41.

67

Byusingadistinctioninbowingtechniquebetweentheinstruments,Bergwasableto

createastrikingamountofcontrastbetweentheinstruments,sothatitiseasytohearthe

differencebetweenthesultastomelodyandthesulponticelloaccompaniment.

Thenextpassage,alsofromthefirstmovementofBerg’sOp.3StringQuartet,hasmore

extendedstringtechniquesinonesectionthananypassagefromSchoenberg’sstringquartets.

Withinonlysevenmeasures,Bergfilledthepassagewithconsordino,sulponticello,harmonics,

andcollegno;fortheentiredurationofthispassage,eachinstrumenthasatleastonespecial

effecthappeningatalmostanygivenpoint(Figure21).

Figure21:StringQuartetOp.3byAlbanBerg,Firstmovement,mm.75-82

68

InFigure21,thesecondviolinismarkedführend,indicatingthatitistheprincipalline.

Otherthanbeingmuted,thesecondviolin’slineisfreeofextendedstringtechniquesuntilthe

firstviolintakesoverinm.81.Meanwhile,theviolaaccompanieswithcollegnotratto

(combiningthewoodandthebowhairwhendrawingthebowacrossthestring).Thefirstviolin

andcellohavesulponticellointerjectionsandaddharmonics(violin1)andpizzicato(cello)to

thesoundscape.AswithFigure20,Iseetheextendedstringtechniquesasameansto

accompany,asthesecondviolinstandsoutfrommm.75–80whiletheotherinstrumentsplay

effectsaroundtheline,andthenthefirstviolinplayswithanormalsoundinmm.81–82while

theotherinstrumentsaccompanywithharmonics.

Thatbeingsaid,inadditiontothepracticalpurposeofaccompanyingtheprincipalline,I

hearthisexampleasatrulynewtypeofsoundinthestringquartetliterature.Thewhole

passageisextremelyquiet;atitsloudest,itispiano,andatthesoftest,pppp.Theextended

stringtechniquesactasspecialeffectsandmakethepassagesoundother-worldly.The

suppresseddynamiccombinedwiththetechniquesdrawthelistenerintohearasoundscape

thatisnewtochambermusic.

AlbanBergwroteanotherstringquartet,LyrischeSuitein1925,almostfifteenyears

afterhefinishedstudyingwithSchoenberg.Thethirdmovementofthisquartetisriddledwith

extendedstringtechniquesinthefollowingways:theentiremovementisconsordino,thefirst

twelvemeasuresareallsulponticelloandpizzicato,mm.46-67arecompletelycollegnotratto,

andinterjectionsofsulponticello,sultasto,andharmonicsfrequentlyoccurthroughoutthe

69

movement.

BartokheardBerg’sLyrischeSuitebeforecomposinghisownStringQuartetNo.3,Sz.85

in1927,aworkthatcontainsthehighestconcentrationofextendedstringtechniquesinone

pieceofmusicuptothatdate,withpagesofonetechniqueaftertheother.AsTheodore

Adornowrote,

Anewcoloristicapproachtostringsonorityisdisplayed[inBartók’sthirdstringquartet],partlyinspiredbyBerg’sLyrischeSuite,whichBartókhadrecentlyheard.Thescorebristleswith‘specialeffects’–glissando,pizzicato,collegno,sultasto,ponticello,martellato,mutedpassages,theuseofexaggeratingvibrato,strumming,andtheircombinations–allofwhichgivethepieceitsstartlingpiquancy.65

Inthisquartet,Bartókusedconsordino,sulponticello,lefthandpizzicatowhilethebow

isstillplayinganote,66collegno,andusingsultastoinonevoicewhilesimultaneouslyusingsul

ponticelloinanothervoice.

Figure22showsapassageofacollegnoinBartók’sStringQuartetNo.3.Thisexample

ismuchmorepercussiveandlessmelodicthananypassagesofcollegnothatSchoenbergor

Bergwrote.Thedynamicisfortissimo,andtheeffectisprimal,aggressive,andrhythmic,far

awayfromthetypicalsingingsoundofthestringinstrument.

65TheodorAdorno,“BélaBartóksDrittesStreichquartett,”Anbruch,xi/9–10(1929):358–60.66ThisisatechniquethatSchoenbergincidentallyalsoaddedtohisthirdstringquartet,writtenthesameyear(1927).

70

Figure22:StringQuartetNo.3byBélaBartók,secondmovement,Rehearsal25

Bartók’sfourthquartet,writtenin1928,alsoincludessnappizzicato,atechniquein

whichthestringispluckedsohardthatitsnapsbackontothefingerboard(Figure23).

Figure23:StringQuartetNo.4byBélaBartók,fourthmovement,mm.55–62

71

Inthispassage,themusicisagaindrivenbyrhythmratherthanmelody.Thestrumming

ofthelowerstringscombinedwiththesnappizzicatointheviolinpartsmakesacompletely

newsoundforthestringquartet.

Onearticlewrittenin1920makesitapparentthatBartókwasawareofSchoenberg’s

chambermusicbythetimeBartókwaswritinghisthirdandfourthstringquartets.Bartókwrote

anarticleabouttheimportanceofbringingSchoenberg’smusictoHungary,andmentionedan

unsuccessfulattempttoputtogetheraconcertinHungarythatwouldincludeSchoenberg’s

secondstringquartet.67Tome,thisarticlecompletestheconnectionthatrunsfrom

SchoenbergtoBergtoBartók.Shoenbergusedanunprecedentednumberofstringtechniques

inhisOp.7stringquartet,afeatofwhichBartókmusthavebeenaware,consideringthathe

wantedtobringSchoenberg’schambermusictoHungary.Atthesametime,Schoenberg

influencedhispupilBerg,whowentontoinfluenceBartókwithhisLyrischeSuite.Schoenberg’s

useofextendedstringtechniquescatapultedachangeinoftheuseofthesetechniquesinthe

stringquartetgenre.

67BélaBartók,“ArnoldSchoenbergsMusikinUngarn,”MusikblätterdesAnbruch2(1920):647-48.

72

CHAPTER6

CONCLUSION

Althoughothercomposershadusedthesetechniquesinstringwritingbefore,Arnold

Schoenberg’sStringQuartetOp.7No.1inDminorisgroundbreakingwithregardtothe

numberandlengthofextendedstringtechniquesandspecialeffectswithinonework.

Particularly,usingextendedstringtechniquestohelpliquidateformalsectionsonalargescale,

andtohelpdisintegratemotivesonasmallscale,wasaninnovationthathadneverbeenseen

beforeinchambermusic.ConsideringSchoenberg’sfascinationwithvagrantharmonies,

liquidation,developingvariation,andtheemancipationofdissonance,itisnotsurprisingthat

healsoemancipatedtheordinarysoundofstringplayingbyexperimentingwiththerelatively

little-exploredworldofextendedstringquartetsounds.

Asisevidencedbyhistoricalaccounts,AlbanBergcontinuedinhismentor’sfootstepsby

addinganarrayofextendedstringtechniquestohisStringQuartetOp.3(writtenin1910)and

hisLyrischeSuite(writtenin1927),therebyinfluencingBélaBartóktoaddevenmoreextended

stringtechniquestohisthirdandfourthstringquartets.Whiletheconversationaboutextended

stringtechniquesoftenbeginswithBartók,itismybeliefthatSchoenbergshouldberecognized

asaforerunnerforcompositionalinnovationswithextendedstringtechniquesinchamber

music.

73

InthemidtolateNineteenthcentury,thestringinstrumentswerewellestablishedas

thewindowtothehumansoul,withthemajorityofcomposerswritingforalushstringsound,

andrichsingingtones.BytheendofSchoenberg’slife,thesingingstringsoundwasnolonger

agiven.Musicforthestringinstrumentbythemiddleofthetwentiethcenturycouldbe

percussive,abrasive,andcouldemitavastnumberofpartialsdependingontheproximityof

thebowtothebridge.Schoenbergwasapioneerinawakeningtheaudiencesandother

composersofthetwentiethcenturytothecapabilitiesofthestringquartet.

74

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