Analysis of Haydn's String Quartet: Op. 76, No. 4
Analysis of Haydn’s String Quartet: Op. 76, No. 4, in B-flat Major “Sunrise”
Haydn composed his Op. 74 quartets in the later years of his life between 1796 and 1797 and it was the last of his completed string quartets. The set of quartets were dedicated to the Hungarian Count Joseph Erdödy and were published in 1799. It was said that this selection of quartets was one of his “most ambitious chamber works” with his attempt of “emphasizing thematic continuity, seamlessly and continually passing motifs from one instrument to another” 1. The fourth of these quartets is nicknamed “Sunrise”. This is due to the exquisite rising theme heard in the first violin part at the beginning of the first movement from bar one to bar four as seen in Figure 1.
This movement is written in sonata form, which was very common during this era of music. The recapitulation runs from the beginning and ends in bar sixty-eight. The development then occurs and lasts from bar sixty-nine till bar 105. There is then a three bar transitional phrase back to the recapitulation from bar 105 to bar 107. Bar 108 is the beginning of the recapitulation and lasts till the rest of the movement. Although it could be said from bar 175 to the end could form a small coda. The exposition is full of many different motifs, although many of these motifs are very similar or could in fact be put together to form a longer motif. The first motif to appear in the exposition would be the melody in the first violin part that starts on the last crotchet beat of bar one. The main motif within this melody would be bar three with the dotted crotched followed by the five quavers as seen as motif ‘x’ in Figure 1. Another motif that could be identified within this melody, which is only ever so slightly different to the first motif mentioned, would be bar two. The only difference between this motif and the earlier mentioned motif is the added grace note after the dotted crotchet and quaver as you can see in
Haydn composed his Op. 74 quartets in the later years of his life between 1796 and 1797 and it was the last of his completed string quartets. The set of quartets were dedicated to the Hungarian Count Joseph Erdödy and were published in 1799. It was said that this selection of quartets was one of his “most ambitious chamber works” with his attempt of “emphasizing thematic continuity, seamlessly and continually passing motifs from one instrument to another” 1. The fourth of these quartets is nicknamed “Sunrise”. This is due to the exquisite rising theme heard in the first violin part at the beginning of the first movement from bar one to bar four as seen in Figure 1.
This movement is written in sonata form, which was very common during this era of music. The recapitulation runs from the beginning and ends in bar sixty-eight. The development then occurs and lasts from bar sixty-nine till bar 105. There is then a three bar transitional phrase back to the recapitulation from bar 105 to bar 107. Bar 108 is the beginning of the recapitulation and lasts till the rest of the movement. Although it could be said from bar 175 to the end could form a small coda. The exposition is full of many different motifs, although many of these motifs are very similar or could in fact be put together to form a longer motif. The first motif to appear in the exposition would be the melody in the first violin part that starts on the last crotchet beat of bar one. The main motif within this melody would be bar three with the dotted crotched followed by the five quavers as seen as motif ‘x’ in Figure 1. Another motif that could be identified within this melody, which is only ever so slightly different to the first motif mentioned, would be bar two. The only difference between this motif and the earlier mentioned motif is the added grace note after the dotted crotchet and quaver as you can see in