Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

String Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No.4, Hob. III:34

The first movement of the piece began with a quiet and peaceful color, but after a few measures,
little melodic sparks were played by the first violin. The main motif was presented and highlighted
during the whole movement, in certain parts the instruments were divided in two pairs: second
violin-viola and first violin-cello. After the exposition, came an intense development of the ideas. I
felt that all harmonic progressions conducted the music to a state of great tension. In fact I noticed
that sometimes the instruments suggested a return to the main theme, but the development
continued.

The way they communicated was almost magical, they weren’t looking each other all the time, but
you could feel they were actually hearing every detail of each voice. The characteristic imitations
between the instruments were powerful and full of life. I think that even if they are musicians,
they are certainly humans and this was the reason they took a breath before starting the second
movement. The second movement had a Baroque atmosphere mainly because of the first violin’s
spiritual and reflexive melodic line. The role of the cello in this movement was very prominent, it
was the spinal cord of the music. It made me realize that Haydn established an equal balance
among the four instruments, even if they are just playing a harmonic role. He gave importance to
each member of the quartet by making them essential for expressing the musical ideas. On the
other hand, the third movement was faster than the first two movements but also very short. I
could feel how much they enjoyed playing this movement. Moreover the last movement was just
perfect, the imitations became more unceasing and each instrument had the possibility to show a
higher level of virtuosity.

Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983)

String Quartet No. 1, Op. 20

The second piece was far more difficult than the first, it began with violent chords and astonishing
scales. The dissonance between the instruments and the complexity of the rhythm were clearly
exposed, you could easily guess it was a piece from the 20 th century. The second violin imitated
several passages of the first violin creating a rare kind of cannon. Then there was a beautiful and
inspiring solo of the cello and finally a symphonic but non-tonal ending for the first part. The
second movement was even faster, the eighth notes defined the character of this movement, and
in my mind it seemed like the music you would use in a persecution or something like a nightmare.

What I liked the most were the pizzicatos, they gave a special character to the movement, and also
as a matter of fact, they were very speedy. In contrast, the third movement was very slow and it
had a darker nature. The series of fifths gave to the movement something shady, they appeared
always above a chord given by the cello. The solos of the first violin and the cello were beautiful,
the seemed to have a poetical or reflexive meaning for the composer, maybe Ginastera wanted
calm after all those agitated movements. Of course, he later returns to the first theme he exposed
at the beginning and the first violin indicates the ending of the third part.

The fourth movement was fast again, and in the same way as the first, it was complex in terms of
rhythm and linkage. But on the contrary, it had a happier spirit, it is like after all the storm you
could finally see the sun shining.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10

This quartet was very different from the other pieces, it had the specific impressionist style that
makes Debussy very particular. The first movement seemed like a painting, full of colors and
intentions, it was easy to realize that this music was conceived in a modern context. The flexibility
of the rhythm gave to the piece so much vitality and joy, it made me think of a crowded city were
many stories happen at the same time but everything is part of a big story.

The timbre and sonority of the whole quartet was different, was more poetic and descriptive. In
the second movement the viola assumed the leader role while the other instruments had
pizzicatos, then the first violin and the cello imitated its melody. The character of this movement
was more interesting, especially because the contrast of the alternated pizzicatos and bowed
passages. The melodic lines in this movement were richer, and more diverse. Later, the third
movement had a slower tempo and a sweet character, the long notes and the chords created a
calm and charming ambient. The interaction between the instruments became more melodic and
understandable. During the movement the used the mute several times, creating a whole new
variety of sounds. At the end, the last movement returned to some themes that had been exposed
previously, it seemed like all the themes were born from the main theme of the first movement.
This movement was darker than the other movements, it was more intense and complex. The
dynamics made this movement way more absorbing. Finally I must say that the quality of the work
they did was amazing, the connection between every member of the quartet was truly astounding.