Ravel- String Quartet in F Major, Part IV
Discussion of the fourth and final movement of Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major.
- Allegro moderato- Tres doux
- Assez vif- Tres rhythme
- Tres lent
- Vif et agite
IV. Vif et agite
The final movement opens with a violent tremolo motive that consists of a two-note ascent followed by a 3-note ascent that returns to the first pitch. This motive is soon sequenced upwards to forceful pizzicatos. At 0:17 the motives begin to ascend again before climaxing and descending to more pizzicatos from the cello and viola. The motive is bounced back and forth between the violin and viola (0:34) before a screeching violin plays above movement one, theme one motives.
At 0:54 some semblance of lyricism is recovered as movement one, theme two is played in the violin. Pizzicato accompaniment to movement one, theme two (1:12) ends with four quiet chords before the opening motive returns quietly in the low voices. The violins play the opening motive along with a “tail” consisting of a two-note ascent (1:35). A descent follows before the phrase is repeated.
The movement one, theme one motive returns in the violin over nervous tremolos before a tremolo version of the movement one theme at 1:58. Movement one, theme two appears over quiet tremolos and is sequenced upwards. At 2:34 an ascent from the violins along with a crescendo leads to exclamatory opening motives which descend and momentarily alternate amongst the quartet. Movement one, theme one returns again at 2:51 with pizzicato embellishment. More tremolos and theme one motives in the violin at 3:09 blend with theme two at 3:30 in the viola and violin. A rising and falling tremolo line smoothes out (3:51). Wobbly-sounding melodies and underlying tremolos accompany lyric rising and falling violin lines. A 3-note motive reminiscent of the third movement at 4:17 over a busy cello contracts to two-note descents before the opening motive is repeated, gaining momentum from forte pizzicatos. A tutti triplet ascent and final flourish end the quartet.
If you’re used to Beethoven or anything generally considered of the “Classical” era, Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major is definitely of a different time and place. However as should be apparent, even Ravel has stuck with the formal conventions established by Mozart and Haydn, yet manages to take us unaware with his unique sound- at times it sounds like many more instruments are playing than in just a quartet, while during others you are distinctly aware of each voice.
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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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