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Jan La Rue Haydn Dedication Quartets
Jan La Rue Haydn Dedication Quartets
.
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The Haydn-Dedication
Quartets:
Allusion or Inuence?*
361
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 1. Mozart, Sonata in C, K. 545/I:12, 5, 14, 18
&c2
Allegro
P: stable
&
&
T: active
362
&
14
S: stable
K: active
&
####
offbeat eighths
P: exploring
qqq q
&
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
example 3a. Mozart, K. 428/III:17
b 3
&bb4
Minuetto
Allegretto
b 3
&bb4
B bb b 43
? b 3
bb4
b
&bb
b
&bb 2
p
B bb b 2
p
? b
bb 2
p
2
2
2
f
2
f
2
f
2
2
22
2
2
2
2
2
f
2
f
2
f
363
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 3b. Haydn, Op. 33, no. 2/III:16
b 3
&bb4
Scherzo
Allegro
b 3
&bb4
B bb b 43
? b 3
bb4
364
b2
&b 4
Allegro assai
b2
&b 4
B bb 42
? b2
b 4
. . . . . .
. . . .
p
. . . .
p
2
2
2
2 b
2
. .
. .
. .
. . . .
. .
. .
f
f
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
example 4b. Haydn, Op. 33, no. 3/IV:18
2
&4
Rondo
Presto
2
&4
p
j
.
p
j
j
B 24
.
.
p
.
.
?2 J J
4
p
&
& #
B
. . . . .
. . . . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
. . . . .
.
.
..
j ..
..
j ..
365
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 5. Mozart, K. 387/I:2530
&
24
&
#
#
B#
?#
&
29
366
Ho-ho
j #
p
#
& n
B#
?# 2
p
p
. #. . . .
. . .
#2
j .
j .
. #. . . .
2
2
j .
j .
examples that have distinct resonance for my ear both belong to a gentle Lndler style more rare in Haydn than the vigorous folk-dance
genre. Notice the smooth effect of the legato cross-string bowing over
pedal-points in the cello in Example 6a.
In Example 6a, the expansion of texture for the repetition and the
added counter-melody in Violin I reminds us of Mozartean balance,
which makes variants without changing dimensions. Haydns exploration (Example 6b), on the other hand, typically makes structural alterations.
The Haydn procedure that most likely affected Mozarts composition is the handling of surprise. We can nd dynamic, orchestral, harmonic, and structural surprise in the Haydn-Dedication quartets. Of
these the most subtle is structural surprise, which raises the question:
Where is the downbeat bar? Haydns favorite technique in producing
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
example 6a. Mozart, K. 464/IV:6674
##
& #
#
B ##
66
##
& #
? ###
&
71
&
###
###
#
B ##
? ###
#2
.
2
2
p
p
#2
.
#2
367
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 6b. Mozart, K. 458/I:9299
b
& b .. J
p
b
& b ..
90
B b b ..
b
&b
368
b
&b
2.
p
2.
2.
p
2.
.
p
? b ..
b
95
2.
2.
2.
? b
b 2.
2.
2.
B bb
2.
2.
. . .
b 2.
&b
b
&b
B bb
#
? b 2.
b
# #
n .
.
2.
. . .
# n
2.
p
JJJ
p
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
example 8. Mozart, K. 464/III:1622
b
&bb .
b
&bb
B bb b
? b .
bb 2
. ...
1
16
22 ..
22 ..
2.
. ...
2
22 ..
22 ..
2.
.. ..
22 ..
22 ..
2.
....
n
f
f
p
p
p
369
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 9. Mozart, K. 464/I:2535
##
& # n2
p
n .
25
##
& # n
p
#
B ## n
? ## #
##
& #
31
370
##
& #
n
#
#
B ## n 2
? ## # n
. .
n.
#2
2
. .
n n
n2.
.
2
n2
#2
cresc.
cresc.
n 2
n. .
n 2
n2 .
8va
n .
# n
f
f
n. .
cresc.
cresc.
within the 3/4 meter. This collection of shock waves occurring seemingly at random certainly evokes the spirit of Haydn; but notice also
many balanced features: soft versus loud dynamics; alternation of legato
and staccato; harmonic versus melodic textures; complex counterpoint
dissolving into a single, sustained chord. And if you beat time to the
exampleone, two; one, twoMozart has a surprise for you: all the bar
groupings are multiples of two: 4, 2+2, 4, 4, 4. This specially subtle tribute to Haydn conceals its Mozartean substructure so smoothly that we
can scarcely nd it. A veritable catalogue of Haydns musical tricks
come together without missing a beat. Ende gut, alles gut.
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
example 10. Mozart, K. 465/III:120
3
&4
Menuetto
(Allegro)
3
&4
B 43
&
B
?
&
14
&
B
# n
. .
. . .#.
p
p
p
# n
&
?3
4
8
# n
f
Repos.
n #
# n
p
p
2.
S
#. . . .
p.
2.
S
2.
S
#2 .
S
..
..
..
..
371
t h e j o u r n a l o f m u s ic o lo g y
example 11. Mozart, K. 464/I:1, 39, 66
##3
& # 4
.#
Allegro
##3
& # 4
#
B # # 43
? ### 3
4
&
39
372
# ## #
##
& #
#
B ##
&
66
# ##
##
& # n2 .
#
B ## 2 .
? # ##
2.
2#
2.
2#
2.
n
#
#
# n
2.
2 #
S (inversion)
? # ##
.#
2.
p
2.
p
2 #
2.
2.
#
2
2.
h ay d n - d e d i c at io n q ua rt e t s
A second example, the opening movement of K. 464 (see Example
11), contains one of the most convincing evidences of Haydn inuence
that I have been able to nd: the use of material from the primary
theme to construct transitional, secondary, and closing theme. In this
context I should like to speak strongly against the term monothematic, often used to describe one of Haydns most important and characteristic techniques. Monothematic gives an impression of sameness
and monotony, just the reverse of Haydns inventive variants. A more
accurate term would be multifunctional, though the technical sound
of this word would probably grate on Haydns ears and make Mozart remember the fake-medical scene in Cos fan tutte, K. 588. But please,
until someone thinks of the perfect word, let us reserve monothematic for composers who deserve it. Returning to music and K. 464:
Mozarts variants show a richness of imagination that should have
pleased Haydn. Following well-travelled Haydn processes, the transition
emerges almost unnoticed from the primary material; the secondary
theme inverts and lengthens the chromatic motion from bar one, also
inverting the general melodic shape from fall-rise to rise-fall and
adding Mozartean touches of balancelong notes answered by rapidly
owing triplets, leading to a brief, imitative treatment. Finally the opening of P returns in almost exact transposition to generate a closing section timed to perfection (and do not miss the thematic-chromatic viola
line in the cadence).
In a spirit of reciprocity I am now collecting examples for a paper
entitled Haydns View of Mozarts Style. Remembering that we have
just seen Haydnesque explorations smoothly tted into Mozartean balances, the obvious question for the next paper is: will Haydns borrowings of Mozartean balance be able to hold their own against his thrusts
of thematic exploration?
373