The Opus 76 Quartet: Classical Series 5

C minor is a special key for Beethoven – one need only think of his iconic Symphony Nr. 5, the funeral march of the 3rd Symphony, or the last piano sonata Op. 111. These works explore ideas of tragedy, loss, fate and redemption in a way that is quintessential Beethoven. The early string quartet, Op. 18 Nr. 4 does not share the density and complexity of the later C minor works, but sets the tone for what’s to come in a lighter, melodrama-like fashion. The piece is bursting with energy and drive. The operatic first movement

alternates passionate lyricism with music that is scherzo-like in character. In fact, the slow second movement is replaced here by a leisurely Scherzo esembling that of his First Symphony. The last movement, also in C minor, has a rustic “alla zingarese” feel with rapid sixteenth-notes.

Like a lot of other composers, Mendelssohn’s string quartet writing owes much to Beethoven.
Emerging as the new generation, Mendelssohn’s integrated stylistic, structural and motivic ideas from the master, combining them with romantic sentiment and his trademark lively scherzo writing. Born into an affluent family, he had a happy childhood – one that was free from

the hardship many others had to suffer. The musical talent of the child prodigy was allowed to develop naturally with plenty of support from the family; local musicians were frequently hired to perform the young Felix’s new works at home. These early works, as much of his later output, show an ease of composition and expression filled with lively optimism.

The String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80, his last composition, is a stark contrast to his earlier style. Completed in 1847, just two months before his death, Mendelssohn labeled the piece a “Requiem for [his sister] Fanny,” who had died just months earlier. It is a dark piece, full of unsettling, manic energy. Devastated by the loss of his sister, Mendelssohn was already suffering from poor health and exhaustion from his busy conducting schedule. The confluence of these events undoubtedly lead to his untimely death, aged 38. The string quartet gives us insight into his state of mind during this disastrous year.

Three out of the four movements are written in the dark key of F minor, offset only by the slow movement in A-flat major. The relentless rhythmic drive gives these three minor-key movements a quality of desperation and anxiety. Similarities to Beethoven’s Op. 95 “Serioso” quartet in F minor are often pointed out. While Beethoven ends on an optimistic note (F major), we receive no such resolve from Mendelssohn: the piece ends in F minor, much in the same character as it began.