ARTH 25 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: String Quartet, Art Of Europe, Appoggiatura
7 May 2020
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Document Summary
When we come to our new key area, we expect the relative major. The string quartet was a new genre for the classical era, and is remarkable for the fact that it treated all four instruments (2 violins, viola, cello) as equal partners. Works were composed for both professional players for use in the homes of the aristocracy, as well as others that were meant to be played for pleasure by amateurs. The string quartet has a homogenous sound because all four instruments are in the same sound pitch. This is also a benefit, as well as a challenge for the composer who must make all four voices stand out directly. 18th century critics often referred to the quartet as an intimate conversation amongst a close group of friends. Indeed, the treatment of musical ideas often takes on the semblance of an exchange of ideas in a conversational manner.
