Lydia Landor

MUSC-344
12/12/14
Beethovens String Quartet No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18
The first movement of Beethovens String Quartet No. 4, Op. 18 is a passionate, driven and
forward moving work, creating much to be discussed and analyzed. It encompasses the sonata form by
creating the well-known divisions and sections of the form as well as using new techniques to embellish
these ideas. During the course of this paper I will be discussing the skeleton of the movement including
where these basic divisions occur as well as cadences, keys touched upon and insertions and deletions in
second-time through and reoccurring material including P-based material and hammer blow chords.
Lastly, additional subjects will be touched on relating to the dynamics and instrumental color of the
piece as a whole.
The opening measure of the first movement No. 4 starts the first theme, or P. The first theme is a
good example of sentence, starting with a presentation of two basic ideas and then moving into the
continuation that is a bit longer than a standard sentence. At measure 13 is where P ends and TR starts.
What is interesting about this end to P is that it almost seems like it is MC-like. While it is definitely
very early to have an MC it certainly sounds like one will be happening. However, instead of an HC we
get a PAC so at least one can know from just that that we probably havent reached the MC yet. With the
entrance of triple hammer blows we see something new is happening that is new to P. The triple hammer
blows in 13 signify the beginning of TR. The hammer blows are interesting and will be discussed later
but they feel almost as if they have been copied and pasted into the TR because directly after that a
different kind of theme that feels unrelated starts up during TR. We will later see that this new theme
material is a little preview of S which is an interesting inclusion in a transition phrase. After this preview
of S begins the dominant lock in measure 20 which brings us to measure 25 where we think there will be
the MC. However, in 25 the MC is rejected and there is a phrase modulation to A flat major. This runs

for a couple bars and then at m. 33 we reach the MC which contains the HC we were looking for as well
as CF in the viola to move into S. What is interesting is that instead of S being in the dominant of P, S is
III of P. It begins in E flat major and continues on until the Exposition ends. Before the exposition ends
though, we see an EEC at m.69 and then closing material until the development. The development starts
in g minor and then transitions to C major. After C Major there is a bit of F major which then leads to F
minor in order to transition back to C minor. Following the development Beethoven moves into the
recapitulation at m. 136 which finishes at m. 194 with the ESC. Following the ESC is closing material
and finally the coda which is P-baseda common theme throughout this pieceends the piece with
what feels like the correct copy and pasted moment of hammer blows that we saw in TR and again in
the development as well as more closing material.
Now that the movement has been mapped out the insertions and deletions of second time
through material will be discussed as Beethoven does interesting things here that dont totally fit with
the normal sonata form. There are two types of insertions that we see in different areas of the piece.
The first is the insertion of P-based and S-based material that can be seen in alternate places than
expected. The second is the insertion of the hammer blow chords that we see at least three times
throughout the piece. As was touched upon briefly earlier, in measure 16 of TR, Beethoven gives a
preview of S. While Ss theme is a kind of variation of P, it is still interesting that we see the same
rhythm and theme in TR that we see again in the second violin at the very beginning of S. Its pretty rare
to see S-based material any time before the MC so its interesting that Beethoven does that. Another
insertion of P-based material is at the beginning of the development. We see the same kind of material
up with embellishments, added harmonies, etc. until m.107 when the hammer blows come in and
transition to S-based material. Specifically, whats happening in the cello at measure 112 has happened
before in S at m. 34. The coda is also P-based material and continues that way up until the triple hammer
blows.

The triple hammer blows are a very interesting part of this movement as every time they come
around they act as some sort of transitional feature into P-based, S-based or new material. The first time
they appear is measure 14 where the chords alternate between V and I, making us feel as if we are
moving towards the dominant but still oscillating between that and tonic. Something else interesting
about them is that all instruments play on each beat together except the fourth beat of m.14 where the
violin plays solo. This creates an almost syncopated sound or that something feels off to make the
listener possible feel that they dont know where it may be going. This leads into S-based material. The
second time we see these hammer blow chords is in measure 108 where they act as another sort of
transition into S based material, but this time in the cello. The last time we see them appear is in the coda
where they go through a whole sequence to sort of build tension and expectance so that once we hear the
return of S in measure 158 there is a sense of relief. Its as if Beethoven has almost classically
conditioned the listener so that each time he puts in the hammer blows, we expect S based material so
that the last time we hear hammer blows we are surprised as he drags out the sequence and eventually
leads us to that moment of S-based material relief.
Lastly, the instrumental color and texture as well as the dynamics of this piece create movement
and contrast in an intentional way to align whats happening compositionally with the overall sound.
Beethoven is clearly very specific with his dynamic direction as he starts off piano and gradually
increases to forte to build suspense by the time the hammer blows come around. The sections that have
modulated to major keys stay very even-keeled, apart from some brief crescendos. It gives it a sweet,
light, happy break to juxtapose the intense tonic minor key which contains a lot of sf and ff markings.
Another move that Beethoven makes to add color to this piece apart from dynamics is having the
different parts almost talking to each other. One prime example of this starts in measure 83
Cello drum like motion
.