Ravel- String Quartet in F Major, Part I
Maurice Ravel’s only string quartet in F Major was submitted as his entry for the prestigious Prix de Rome and the Paris Conservatory, both of which did not look upon the work favorably. Dedicated to his mentor Gabriel Fauré (who called it “…a failure”), the premier took place in Paris on March 5, 1904.
- Allegro moderato- Tres doux
- Assez vif- Tres rhythme
- Tres lent
- Vif et agite
The quartet is set in the traditional four movements. Thematic material in the first movement recurs throughout the work, but are greatly varied in harmony and instrumentation.
I. Allegro moderato- Tres doux
Sonata Form
The quartet begins with theme one in the violin playing above the other members of the ensemble. The melody ascends and the motives are then played lower in the register. The second phrase (0:18) in the violin is based off of a 4-note descent before opening motives are repeated. Ascending thirds in the violin are answered by the second violin (0:44).
Theme two is a simple, gently swaying dotted melody first introduced in the violin above quick ascending scales. The opening motives of the theme are passed to the second violin and viola before theme one motives return in the violin (1:06). Theme one motives are repeated as an increasingly agitated quartet crescendos and resolves to a series of descending arpeggios. A series of hairpins lead to a cello tremolo which then ascends (1:30), ending the exposition.
Tutti theme one motives begin the development followed by several triplet ascents and pizzicato notes from the second violin. A lightly embellished version of theme two in the first violin and viola (1:48) over a steady second violin and occasional pizzicatos in the cello is then repeated by the viola. At 2:18, theme two motives in the first violin over a pedal cello and theme one motives in the viola switch instruments soon after. Themes one and two briefly merge before theme one regains the spotlight at 2:41. Scintillating violin arpeggios provide a backdrop for a lyric descending and ascending line in the viola. After a brief transition this melody is repeated in the violin and cello in minor key (3:07). Two-note ascents follow low pizzicato notes in the cello (3:19) before theme two motives return amidst rapid rising and falling “spikes”, the first of which occurs at 3:32. The motives sequence upwards and grow in volume. A remarkably uncomfortable-sounding theme one at 3:57 over hammering bass from the cello soon diminishes the theme one motives in the cello with occasional violin spikes played both with the bow and pizzicato.
The recapitulation begins at 4:19 with theme one. The first phrase is repeated faithfully while the next two are only slightly modified. Theme two returns at 5:07 over slightly more distinguishable rising scales in the rest of the quartet. After a viola ascent, theme one motives return in the violin (5:25). The cadence theme ends the recapitulation starting at 5:33.
The coda begins with abbreviated theme one motives that sequence downwards and resolve into theme two motives (6:02). Theme two motives are played high in the violin and cello before a series of descents in the violin over theme two motives in the cello (6:28). High, lazy theme one motives in the violin (7:09) descend as a plucked ascent ends the movement on three quiet pizzicatos under a violin sustain.
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If you are interested in listening to a recording, I recommend the Alben Berg String Quartet’s 1992 recording on EMI. You can buy this recording from Amazon by clicking on the image below. Unfortunately this is a bit hard to find and is not available on iTunes. As an alternative, the Emerson String Quartet’s recording on Deutsche Grammophone is also very good.
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