String Quartets
Created | Updated Feb 19, 2007
The String Quartet has long been a staple of good classical music. Generally, a string quartet consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello. However, this can vary greatly. Quartets can be: two violins, a cello, and a bass; one violin, a viola, a cello and a bass; two violins, a viola and a bass; and most likely anything else you can think of. It has also become acceptable to add in percussion and/or a guitar, as appropriate.1
The downfall of this setup is that every player must be competent and confident. Every player in the quartet represents a whole section of the orchestra. Unlike an orchestra, there are no other players to help you get back on track in your section. Also, no other players can play over you if you make a mistake, and you can't blame anyone else for your mistakes.
It would seem, at this point, that no beginner belongs in a quartet. Contrary to that popular opinion, a string quartet is one of the best places to learn how to play a stringed instrument once you have the basics down. The key is to play with people who are at the same level of playing as you are. If you can find a quartet of people like this, it can be a great learning experience. You will quickly learn good practice habits, because it is very apparent if you don't practice when you play in a quartet. You are held completely accountable for your playing abilities. This can be one of the best ways to get constructive criticism. It can be a much better experience than a private lesson, especially if there is a mentor to the group, because if allows you to hear yourself in a group. In this scenario, it is much easier for the beginner to hear whether or not they are in tune.
Then, in 1755 and 1756, a young Haydn stayed at Weinzierl at the invitation of the Baron von Fürnberg. At Weinzierl, Haydn started playing in a string quartet with Fürnberg's stewart, the village priest and a musician by the name of Albrechtsberger. It is very likely that this is the group for which he wrote Op.1 nos. 1-6, his first string quartets.
From that point until about 1775-1800, Haydn was the driving force behind the string quartet. Soon after Haydn began writing quartets, he was also joined by other learned composers, such as Mozart, who also had a very profound impact on the styles and traditions of the string quartet.
In the late 1780s and early 1790s, Haydn served as Beethoven's teacher. This did undoubtedly have a profound impact on Beethoven's composing, but it should be noted that Beethoven did not begin composing his quartets until 1798, when he composed the first (chronological) string quartet piece, Op.18 no.3 in D Major. This was one of his first six quartet pieces, Op.18 nos.1-6.
String quartets have been the source of good music for hundreds of years. They remain one of the easiest ways to get involved in group music, and one of the best ways to learn how to play good music. The boundaries of these groups have increased astronomically over the years, spanning all types of music and all ages of composers, and it is inevitable that these groups will continue forming and performing until the end of time.
Why four instruments?
String quartets are very popular because of their unique combination of versatility and fullness. The quartet combines almost all of the ranges of the full orchestra, so many pieces of music arranged for the string orchestra can easily be played by a quartet with little or no changes. The quartet, though, allows for much more creativity than an orchestra. Each player in the quartet is effectively a soloist in their instrument. Thus, faster and more complex music can be played, because there are no other instruments in the section with which the player must stay in stride. The player only has to worry about staying in rhythm with the other sections.The downfall of this setup is that every player must be competent and confident. Every player in the quartet represents a whole section of the orchestra. Unlike an orchestra, there are no other players to help you get back on track in your section. Also, no other players can play over you if you make a mistake, and you can't blame anyone else for your mistakes.
It would seem, at this point, that no beginner belongs in a quartet. Contrary to that popular opinion, a string quartet is one of the best places to learn how to play a stringed instrument once you have the basics down. The key is to play with people who are at the same level of playing as you are. If you can find a quartet of people like this, it can be a great learning experience. You will quickly learn good practice habits, because it is very apparent if you don't practice when you play in a quartet. You are held completely accountable for your playing abilities. This can be one of the best ways to get constructive criticism. It can be a much better experience than a private lesson, especially if there is a mentor to the group, because if allows you to hear yourself in a group. In this scenario, it is much easier for the beginner to hear whether or not they are in tune.
The History of the String Quartet
Over the course of history, the music of the quartet has fluctuated and expanded. It has done more of the latter, as music is played in contemporary quartets that was also played in the same setting hundreds of years ago.Haydn (1732 - 1809)
Haydn is regarded as the "Father of the String Quartet" by almost everybody, excepting himself. However, it is possible that the original quartets came from other composers who had written music for string quartets in Germany and Austria during the early 1600s. These composers wrote music evenly and thematically balanced between two violins, a viola, and a cello or bass. This early form of quartet music generally consisted of folk song adaptations. Around 1620, however, the viola dropped out and a keyboard instrument was added as accompaniment. This arrangement is known as the trio sonata. The trio sonata quickly became the popular arrangement of the time.Then, in 1755 and 1756, a young Haydn stayed at Weinzierl at the invitation of the Baron von Fürnberg. At Weinzierl, Haydn started playing in a string quartet with Fürnberg's stewart, the village priest and a musician by the name of Albrechtsberger. It is very likely that this is the group for which he wrote Op.1 nos. 1-6, his first string quartets.
From that point until about 1775-1800, Haydn was the driving force behind the string quartet. Soon after Haydn began writing quartets, he was also joined by other learned composers, such as Mozart, who also had a very profound impact on the styles and traditions of the string quartet.
Beethoven (1770 - 1827)
In the late 1780s and early 1790s, Haydn served as Beethoven's teacher. This did undoubtedly have a profound impact on Beethoven's composing, but it should be noted that Beethoven did not begin composing his quartets until 1798, when he composed the first (chronological) string quartet piece, Op.18 no.3 in D Major. This was one of his first six quartet pieces, Op.18 nos.1-6.
The Future
String quartets have been the source of good music for hundreds of years. They remain one of the easiest ways to get involved in group music, and one of the best ways to learn how to play good music. The boundaries of these groups have increased astronomically over the years, spanning all types of music and all ages of composers, and it is inevitable that these groups will continue forming and performing until the end of time.
1
It should also be noted that strings can be combined in amounts other than four, but that wouldn't be considered a quartet. Adding a guitar or percussion to the strings technically makes more than a quartet, but if the guitars and percussion are subtle and only for accompaniment, it can still be classified as a quartet.
It should also be noted that strings can be combined in amounts other than four, but that wouldn't be considered a quartet. Adding a guitar or percussion to the strings technically makes more than a quartet, but if the guitars and percussion are subtle and only for accompaniment, it can still be classified as a quartet.
