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 The Chamber Music Society of Detroit presents… Cavani String Quartet Violin: Annie Fullard Violin: Mari Sato Viola: Kirsten Docter Cello: Merry Peckham FIRST SEGMENT: Introduction of Quartet Members (01:12 to 3:50) •
Detailed Timeline for this segment o 01:12 – Introduction of Quartet members to Queen’s We Will Rock You o 03:50 – Introduction ends SECOND SEGMENT: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, K. 525) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (03:54 to 7:41) Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was written in 1787. The German title means "a little serenade," though it is often rendered more literally but less accurately as "a little night music." • Detailed Timeline for this segment o 03:54 – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik begins o 05:55 – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik ends • Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o Melody: The piece begins with all of the parts in unison, performing a rising arpeggiated theme – technique sometimes known as a “Mannheim Rocket” after the fireworks at the palace in Mannheim, Germany where this kind composition got its start. This is not only one of Mozart’s most widely recognized melodies, but one of the most recognizable themes in the history of music. After this theme establishes the home key of G major, the first violins take the melody while the rest of the orchestra provides harmonic accompaniment. After the first theme, the key modulates to D major and the violas take an eighth note melody, doubled by the cellos and basses an octave below. The melody returns to the first violins again, traveling briefly to the seconds from time to time before being shared by all. The melody usually features a strong emphasis on the first beat, often strengthened by a trill in the violins. This is often followed by a longer note beginning on beat two. A second melody appears later that is ornamented by a triplet figure leading to beat one in the first violin part. From this point on, most of the material is repeated, occasionally transposed to G, D, or C. The piece ends with a recapitulation of all of the melodic material in the home key of G. o Harmony: The piece begins in G major with the unison rocket theme. Once the first violins are given the melody in measure, five, the other instruments take on an accompanying role. The chord’s rarely stray from V and I, occasionally resolving deceptively to vi or passing by ii before proceeding to V or V7. The main driving motion harmonically is the rhythm of the harmony. For example, in measures five through eight, the harmony is I for a bar, then V fore a bar, then Concerts can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education repeats. After that, the speed quadruples and only a beat is spent on each chord. The duration of the time spent on each chord is what gives the piece its motion, rather than variety of chords in the progression. After the introduction, the piece modulates to D major and remains there for much of the piece. After a bit, the rocket theme returns in D major and recaps the intro, originally in G. After a brief departure from G and D in a section that progresses through a few keys, the piece returns to D, then G and ends by recapping the previous melodic material in the original key and ending with a short coda. o Rhythm: The rhythms in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik are very straightforward. The theme consists of mostly quarter notes and eighth notes with occasional dotted quarter and eighth note occurrences. The accompaniment parts drive the motion of the piece by keeping a steady eighth note pulse through most of the piece, with the second violin and viola occasionally playing bars filled with sixteenth notes. There are only a few occurrences of syncopation, as the first and second violins have an offset quarter note rhythm when the viola and cello have the melody, but nothing terribly extended or complex. There are a few triplet and thirty-­‐second note rhythms, but they are merely ornamental notes leading to downbeats. The steady, unwavering drive of the rhythm really gives the piece its drive and cohesion. The harmonic rhythm is far more important than the actual chord progression selected. o Form: The piece is written in typical sonata-­‐allegro form. The piece begins with a rocket theme, and then modulates to D after a brief exposition. The development begins with a simple presentation of the rocket theme in the dominant key, then proceeds through a series of tonicizations of notes before returning to D, and finally recapping most of the melodic and harmonic themes in the original key of D. It ends with a short codetta. o Vocabulary:  Allegro: quickly  Sonata allegro: A large-­‐scale A-­‐B-­‐A form consisting of an exposition, development, and recapitulation, each with several themes.  String serenade: A multi-­‐movement classical work written for string orchestra, usually with a less formal sequence of movements than a symphony  Spiccato: off the string bow stroke; separated  Cadence: the final resolution of a harmonic progression  Key: tonal center of a piece; determined the sequence of whole steps and half steps in the scale and indicated by the number of sharps of flats in the key signature THIRD SEGMENT: Minuet and Trio by Joseph Haydn (05:56 to 10:33) Haydn is often referred to as "Papa" Haydn. Although he did not invent either the symphony or the string quartet, he was perhaps the most important and central figure in their maturity as musical forms. His symphonies (especially the Paris and London sets) show a complete mastery of form and substance, setting the stage for the works of Mozart and Beethoven. Haydn's "paternity" is just as clear in the string quartets. Here Haydn helped transform the genre from little more than a string divertimento (with the emphasis on the top voice) to a type of chamber music in which all parts play an equal role.  Detailed Timeline for this segment o 05:56 – A few brief remarks about musical periods and Haydn and the origin of the string quartet o 08:56 – Minuet begins; 09:26 – Trio begins; 10:10 – Minuet returns Concerts can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education 10:33 – Minuet and Trio ends • Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o Style Periods: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, etc. (as distinct from “classical” music, which encompasses many style periods up to and including music written in the present day) o Musical Form: Minuet and Trio is perhaps the simplest and most easily recognizable example of ABA form, because the return of the A section is a literal repeat of the first A section. FOURTH SEGMENT: String Quartet No. 18 in A Major K. 464, I. Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (10:34 to 18:09) o
Written in 1785, this is the fifth of Mozart’s six string quartets that he dedicated to Joseph Haydn, who was 24 years older than he was, and played in a string quartet with him on many occasions for simple musical pleasure. In the context of this musical friendship, Haydn responded with six new string quartets of his own, dedicated to Mozart, and showing clearly the profound influence of the much younger Mozart upon his older friend and colleague. Not to be outdone, Beethoven (a student of Haydn who barely knew Mozart) later wrote his own set of six string quartets as his first effort in this increasingly popular musical form; and it is Beethoven’s 16 string quartets that are generally considered the finest pieces ever written in this art form. • Detailed Timeline for this segment o 10:34 – Narrative introduction to Mozart’s early life as a child prodigy o 12:28 – Allegro begins • 12:28 – EXPOSITION: First Theme (in the tonic key) • 12:51 – EXPOSITION: Transition (modulating to the dominant key) • 13:14 – EXPOSITION: Second Theme (in the dominant key) • 14:17 – DEVELOPMENT • 15:15 – subtle false recapitulation with First Theme in the tonic key • 15:51 – RECAPITULATION: First Theme (in the tonic key) • 16:13 – RECAPITULATION: Transition (without a modulation, so different) • 16:36 – RECAPITULATION: Second Theme • 17:57 -­‐ CODA o 18:09 – Allegro ends • Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o This is a great example of Sonata-­‐Allegro from that is fairly easy to follow. It also demonstrates the creative genius of Mozart as he “fakes out” the knowledgeable listener by creating the expectation of a return of the First Theme and then continuing the Development further o The concept of a “Coda” – a short tag at the end of a piece to bring the music to a satisfying close – is well demonstrated by this example. o For students not yet familiar with Sonata-­‐Allegro Form (or perhaps not ready to be introduced to it), this piece provides a marvelous demonstration of the shifting roles of the different instruments in chamber music: each instrument sometimes gets the main melody, and sometimes plays a supporting role. Concerts can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education FIFTH SEGMENT: String Quartet No. 2 (excerpt), Béla Bartok (18:10 to 34:24) The Hungarian composer Béla Bartok is considered by many to be one the greatest composers of the 20th Century. This is the second of his six string quartets; each one of them is considered a masterpiece of the form. Detailed Timeline for this segment o 18:10 – Extended narrative transition and introduction • 20:20 – Three ways of listening explanation o 23:07 – Piece begins o 31:36 – The piece ends, additional narrative continues “ways of listening” conversation o 34:24 – Segment ends • Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o The narrative introduction includes the Cavani Quartet’s signature explanation of three ways of listening to music • Listening simply with an open mind and open ears • Listening from your heart (emotionally) • Listening with imagination (visually – colors) o The style of this piece provides a vivid contrast to the classical style of Haydn and Mozart; note the shifting tempos, unpredictable meters, and aggressive, often jarring harmonies. SIXTH SEGMENT: String Quartet in G Minor, Op.10, Claude Debussy (34:25 to 57:25) 
Debussy wrote relatively little chamber music, and only one string quartet, composed during 1893, the same year that saw most of the work completed on the ballet score, Prélude à l’après-­‐midi d’un faune, which has become perhaps the composer’s most famous and most performed composition. Compared to the Prélude and later works, the string quartet hews much more closely to the formal conventions of the time, though many of the unique characteristics of Debussy’s path-­‐breaking style are very much in evidence here, such as the use of the modes and the whole tone scale as a source for melodic and harmonic material, and a strong interest in careful calculation of the work’s time proportions. •
Detailed Timeline for this segment o 34:26 – Narrative introduction-­‐ Discussion on how tone color and compositions reflect perceptions of everyday life. Uses Monet’s various pictures of the cathedral at different times of the day/different light showing different perceptions. Relates it to Debussy's string quartet that uses the same motive in different compositional techniques. • Motive is presented in an intense, dark manner • Motive is presented in a peaceful manner • Motive is presented in a bold, dramatic composition. • Motive is presented in a suspicious, suspenseful, mysterious manner. • Motive is presented in a bold, excited, exclamatory, happy manner. o 44:53 – First movement, Animé et très, decide begins o 46:35 – contrasting section o 52:15 – First movement, Animé et très, decide ends Concerts can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education 52:16 – Narrative introduction to second movement -­‐ describes how music can take you places and how one art form affects another. Uses Paul Gauguin prints to illustrate. o 55:12 – Second movement, Assez vif et bien rythmé, begins o 57:25 -­‐-­‐ Second movement, Assez vif et bien rythmé, ends Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o Unlike “classical” variations, these variations are “baked in” to the musical form, without a clear start and stop for each change, but rather with subtle transitions into each change. Challenge the students to react to each transition and respond through movement. o
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FINAL SEGMENT: Questions & Answers, Encore (57:26 to 61:50) Question and answer session followed by a closing piece. • Detailed Timeline for this segment o 54:48 – Questions from the audience o 1:08:00 – Encore: “My Girl” by Temptations o 1:10:54 – Encore: “Surfin’ USA” by the Beach Boys o 1:13:05 – End of performance • Teaching concepts demonstrated in this segment: o “My Girl” and “Surfin’ USA” are great examples of truly outside-­‐the-­‐box playing – the performers are all standing (including the cellist!). It can get students excited about what a string quartet can do. o To prep the students on this piece of music, students can watch different versions of the songs on YouTube.  Temptations 1965 performance of “My Girl” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltRwmgYEUr8  Both versions are of the Beach Boys performing the song, one at the beginning of their career and at a reunion tour.  Beginning of the Beach Boys career: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a_RRg5p_WA  Reunion Tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU9-­‐uY_32uA o Students could fill in a Venn diagram with comparing and contrasting the differences between the performances and the Cavani String Quartet. Concerts can be found at www.MIStreamnet.org/cmsd or www.ChamberMusicDetroit.org/Education