3/10 String Quartet Op.133 "Grosse Fuge" (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Yesterday was the color chart/video of Opus 130, and since the Grosse Fugue was originally the grand finale of Opus 130 it seems necessary to put up Mr. Rich's color breakdown of this crazy and fun behemoth.  I think this is like the 2nd or 3rd analysis of the G.F. I've posted, but this one is pretty much all from Alan Rich's book, "Play by Play".  Personally I like my own analysis better, his is a little too simplified for my tastes, but I learned alot from his....

String Quartet Op.133 "Grosse Fuge" (1826)
Guarneri Quartet


Overture (MAROON)
1st Theme
2nd Theme
3rd Theme
4th Theme

Part I: fugue (based on 4th Theme): (BROWN)
Entrance 1
Entrance 2
Entrance 3
Entrance 4
Exposition (partial)
Variations on subject
Exposition (partial)
Exposition (variations on subject)

Part II: (BLUE)
3rd Theme (return)
3rd Theme (several fugue-like entrances)
3rd Theme (fragments)
3rd Theme (variation)

Part III: (VIOLET)
2nd Theme (return)
2nd Theme: fugue
2nd Theme: fugue (abridged)
2nd Theme (variation)
2nd Theme (further variation)

Part IV: (SEA GREEN)
3rd Theme (return)
Transition

Part V: (DARK BLUE)
2nd Theme (return)
2nd Theme (development)
1st Theme (return)

Part VI: fugue (based on part I) (OLIVE)
1st Theme (return)
Part I (variation)

(form breakdowns from Alan Rich's "Play by Play")

Rock Arrangement:

3/9 String Quartet Op.130 (Color Analysis and Rock Arr.)

Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 130 has the distinction of having had the "Grosse Fuge" as it's original ending, and then having that shortly replaced with a new final movement, which also happens to be B.'s last completed work.  For those reasons it's very much an "omega" work.  One thing that always amazes me about the new finale is that it's so joyful and "peppy".  At this time B. must have suspected that he wouldn't live much longer - he was trying to recover from a long-term illness during it's composition.  Also he was completely deaf, and his nephew Karl had just tried to commit suicide, blaming B. for driving him to such an extreme.  He was staying at his brother Johann's with whom he had had many rows, composing a work in response to public rejection of one of his most ambitious works.  It could not have been a happy time.  Nonetheless, the music of this "replacement movement" is vivacious.  I wonder if composing such contrary music was a method of self-therapy?  Let there be Light!

String Quartet Opus 130 (Final Version)
Guarneri Quartet
I. Adagio ma non troppo (0:00)
II. Presto (D♭) (13:40)
III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (B♭ minor) (15:36)
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (G) (23:01)
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (E♭) (26:47)
VI. Finale. Allegro (33:50)

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CHANNEL LINK (Click here to see this video on my YT Channel.  Once there, click on "(more info)" and then you can view the video in place, while scrolling through the text below)

I. Adagio ma non troppo/Allegro

--Exposition:

• Introduction, part I (BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (OLIVE)

--Exposition (Repeat):

• Introduction, part I (LIGHT BROWN)
• Introduction: part II
• 1st Theme, part I (LIGHT MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part I (return)
• 1st Theme, part II
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 2nd Theme: development
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT OLIVE)

--Development: 

• First part: based on Introduction (VIOLET)
• Second part: based on 1st Theme

--Recapitulation:

• 1st Theme, part I (MAROON)
• 1st Theme, part II (variation)
• 2nd Theme (variation) (DARK BLUE)
• 2nd Theme (return)
• 3rd Theme (return)
• Coda (VIOLET)

II. Presto (starting from 13:40)

• A (GREEN)
• B (BLUE)
• Transition (PURPLE)
• A (Return) (GREEN)

III. Andante con moto ma non troppo (starting from 15:36)

Exposition

• Introduction (BROWN)
• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• Transition (OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)

Exposition Repeat

• Introduction (LIGHT BROWN)
• 1st Theme (LIGHT MAROON)
• Transition (LIGHT OLIVE)
• 2nd Theme (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme (Variation) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 3rd Theme (LIGHT VIOLET)

• Coda (OLIVE)
• 3rd Theme (VIOLET)
• 3rd Theme: Development

IV. Alla danza tedesca: Allegro assai (starting from 23:01)

A: 

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part II (LIGHT BLUE)

B: 

• 1st Theme (GREEN)

A:

• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, parts I and II (variation) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (BLUE)
• 1st Theme, part I (fragmented variation) (LIGHT BLUE)

V. Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo (starting from 26:47)

1st Theme, part I (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II

1st Theme (return)

2nd Theme (BLUE)

2nd Theme (return)

3rd Theme (VIOLET)

1st Theme, part I (return) (GREEN)

1st Theme, part II (return)

VI. Finale, Allegro (starting from 33:50)

Exposition

• 1st Theme (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (GREEN)

Exposition Repeat

• 1st Theme (repeat) (MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (repeat) (BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (repeat) (GREEN)

Development (PURPLE)

Recapitulation

• 1st Theme (return) (LIGHT MAROON)
• 2nd Theme (return) (LIGHT BLUE)
• 3rd Theme (return) (LIGHT GREEN)
• Development (return) (LIGHT PURPLE)

• Coda (BROWN)

(form analysis from Alan Rich's "Play by Play")

And finally my sequenced "Rock" arrangement for those who like guitars, organ, bass and drums...if you're ambitious you could theoretically play both at the same time...maybe not.

 I. 0:04, II. 11:13, III. 13:17

IV. 19:00, V. 21:50,  VI. 29:01

12/13 Beethoven in Outer Space

(Rarest Beethoven record ever.)

In 1977, two Voyager space probes were launched into the greater universe, and with each of them was a "Golden Record", basically a message to aliens attempting to prove that we're intelligent (and worthy of gifts).  It includes everything from chemical formulas to Ancient Sumerian greetings to a message from Jimmy Carter.  It also includes 90 minutes of music including "Johnny B Goode", mariachi music, Pygmy girls' initiation songs and of course, Beethoven. In fact the final track on this "Earth's Greatest Hits" is from Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 130, the "Cavatina" movement. This is the piece that Beethoven said caused tears to well up in his eyes just thinking about it. For the next 40,000 years (or so) this record will be Beethoven's "das lied von der erde" (that's of course a reference to Gustav Mahler's "Song of the Earth").

I've tried analyzing it a couple times and I was originally going to post some annotations but - this is one time where analysis seems to be missing the point. I'll just summarize by saying that I think it's basically in A,A1,B,A2 form and that the sections kind of meld together, so it's very difficult to divide the measures up into "sections". The B section is the "up" part and picks up some energy before reverting back to cosmic profundity...

String Quartet 13 in Bb, Op.130 (1826) Movement V: Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo
The Guarneri Quartet


Music on Voyager's Golden Record - TRACKLIST.

If you want to hear the actual music on this Golden Oldie go HERE and click on the spacecraft, then the small Gold record, then the big Gold Record, then the circle-thingy on the upper left (I'm assuming that's a design for a space turntable).

Go HERE to see an interactive Flash presentation about Voyager's Golden Record.
Voyager main page with loads of interesting info.
Video Collage by bloconovo:

Was Beethoven an alien?  ;)

8/26 String Quartet Opus 131 Finale

Beethoven's String Quartet Opus 131 Finale Analysis
This quartet finale is exciting as heck, which is why I wanted to analyze it.  Little did I know that the intrinsic substance of this movement is intimately tied to most of the preceding movements in this string quartet.  So I guess this will be like a movie review with just the spoilers.  Damn you Louis!

Performed by the Guarneri Qrtt
Alternate Youtube link

Notes:  My analysis is helped greatly by Donald Francis Tovey's analysis.  

A1 is called Anapaeste bcause the rhythm of the first figure is similar to "an-a-paeste".  The Scissor theme is a 2-accent figure, like the sound scissors make.  The 2nd theme (Sweetness) is in the relative major instead of the dominant.  The Development features explicit references to elements found in the preceeding movements of this quartet, such as the earlier fugue movement.  The "vibrations" at the end of C2 echo a few measures into the Recap.  In the Recap the Sweetness theme is in the flat supertonic, which mirrors the first movement's harmonic motion.  It's also twice as long, despite the Anapaeste motif trying to disperse it.  The Coda seems to me to be almost a 2nd development section, but Tovey calls it a Coda;  I compromise and call it a 2nd recap.

Comments by Guarneri Quartet:
Soyer: It's savage - utterly savage - the culmination of the entire work.
Dalley: Grotesque and wild!  It has invincible energy.
Tree: A relentles dance, a demonic dance - and yet, what wonderfully tender moments, what an enormous emotional range!
Steinhardt: He's shaking his fist at destiny. It's terrifying - but suddenly everything is released and it overflows with joy, with ecstacy.
Dalley: You want to bark like a dog.

 Manuscript Sketch Images from http://www.rism.org.uk/

Here are some other analyses to compare:

From Dominique Prevot's Site

Lewis Lockwood's book

Barbara Barry's book.