Très Rythmé
Ravel quartet: Second Movement
Last week, we looked at the first movement of Ravel’s String Quartet. We explored how he mixed traditional structure and phrasing with unconventional, innovative harmony to create an aesthetically pleasing movement that sounds fresh and alive. This week, we’re looking at the second movement. Traditionally, the second movement of a quartet would be either a slow movement or a dance movement (minuet or scherzo). Ravel chose to write the latter. Although it’s not called a scherzo, it follows the same structure and has the same lively nature of one.
Scherzo
Pizzicato
It opens with the first theme (T1) in pizzicato. Pizzicato is a stringed instrument technique in which the player plucks the strings instead of bowing. In this movement, this technique gives the music a percussive quality and a rhythmic vitality. It also adds to the Iberian flair that Ravel was particularly fond of, given his Basque heritage. Here’s the theme in the first violin clearly in three time.
Ravel uses the first measure of the first theme as a motif (m1) throughout the movement.
This theme is accompanied by the other instruments (also in pizzicato) creating unstable metrical timing by sometimes playing in two and sometimes in three. This again gives the music a Spanish flair.
All together, it makes for an exciting opening to this movement and a nice contrast to the first movement.
Bien chanté
To contrast with the percussive opening, Ravel introduces a lyrical bowed second theme (T2) marked bien chanté (“well sung”). This theme is very similar to the second theme of the first movement, which adds a sense of cohesion between the movements. Notice this theme is also clearly in 3.
Just like the in the first theme (T1), Ravel uses the first measure of the second theme (T2) as a motif (m2) throughout the movement.
Bubbling under this melody, the second violin and viola play a motif (m2b) that recurs throughout the movement.
Under this, the cello contradicts the feeling of three in the melody by reinforcing the feeling of two in pizzicato.
Listen to how Ravel mixes all of these elements together to create thrilling music. Also, notice how he uses motifs from the First and Second themes (m1 and m2 respectively) to drive the music forward.
Bridge and repeat
After this, Ravel writes a short bridge to return us to a written-out repeat of everything we just heard. In the bridge, the upper voices use a technique known as tremolo where the player rapidly repeats a note with separate bows. This creates a beautiful shimmering effect.
Lent
third theme
In contrast to the driving opening section of this movement, the middle section is slow. It opens with a beautiful third theme (T3) in the cello.
The second violin and viola accompany this with a variation of the the second theme (T2a).
These two themes pass between the instruments before arriving at a lazy slow waltz.
Memories of past themes
Still in the labouriously slow tempo, the second theme (T2) reappears in strange new colours. When motif 2b (m2b) occurs again, the music begins to pick up momentum.
As if in a dream world, the motif from the first theme (m1) takes over mixed with the motif from the second theme (m2).
In the climax of this slow section, Theme 3 (T3) and the pizzicato First Theme (T1) (now played ridiculously slowly) intermingle in a glorious show of colours.
Tempo primo
Retransition
This brings the movement back to its original tempo and a thrilling retransition back to the opening section of this movement. Notice how the sudden drive of the pizzicato incites the motif from the first theme (m1) to pop up around the quartet.
The movement concludes in a symmetrical way, that is we hear a reprise of all of the material from the opening of the movement. Listen to fully annotated finale to this movement.
Next week, we’ll look at the most unconventional movement of this quartet: the slow third movement. If you’d like to join us for our performance of this work on the 9 March, click here to reserve your tickets.