Quartet, No. 14, in A major. The first movement, Allegro maestoso, A
major, four-four measure, is very brilliant, opening with a theme in
which arpeggio and scale figures abound. This closes in B, and the
second subject begins in E. Here occurs some very free chromatic
writing, suggestive of Richard Strauss, as, for instance, D sharp for
violoncello against E flat for guitar and viola; and C natural opposed
to B sharp. But it is a mere matter of spelling. The first part ends in
E, and is marked for repetition. Then, with a single prefatory chord of
E minor, the working out section begins in C, with a new motive, which
passes through a number of keys, the primary returning with the second
subject. Minuetto, Scherzo affettuoso, A major, three-four. The subject
is based on a three-note figure, giving, by cross accents, to the
four-bar phrase the effect of a six-bar phrase in duple measure--Tempo
rubato. The Trio, in D, has a theme in triple measure, but the middle
sentence has the displaced accents of the Minuet. Largo, con sentimento,
G flat major, four-four measure. For this the pitch of the guitar is
raised a tone, and the part written in E major. The movement is in song
form, the melody opening in stately fashion, but the writing soon
becomes florid. At the second entry the theme begins in A major, the
return to G flat being ingeniously effected. There are some rapid
pizzicato passages for the violoncello. Finale, Allegro vivace, A major,
four-four rhythm. This is a moto perpetuo, sempre staccato, for the
violin. The theme is quite unlike that of the movement known as Op. 11.
After the exposition of the subject, the violin has figure-playing of an
easy kind, while the violoncello has a Cantabile theme. This recurs, and
snatches of it are heard in the brief coda. The other instruments merely
accompany. This quartet has distinct character.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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