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Smart Listener - Chamber Music By : Saul Crespo
If you have been following The Smart Listener Series then you recall that I have explained a few things about symphonic music such as The Ciaccona , Paganini Caprices for solo violin and Beethoven piano sonatas . But there is still one classical music genre which is one of the most amazing .
I am talking about chamber music , one of the most interesting and wonderful experiences one can have as a musician .
A chamber music ensemble consists of a small group of musicians ( usually from two to eight ), a number not big enough to lose musicians ’ individuality , but not small enough to ensure that the result must be a team work , where every partner has left his pride and become a part of a bigger ensemble . Its name comes from the XVIIIth Century , when chamber music began to rise ; at that time , this kind of music was usually played in European palace chambers .
The chamber music ensemble can adopt a lot of forms : violin , cello and piano trio ; string trio , violin and piano duo , clarinet and piano duo , string quartet , wind quintet ... Every combination of instruments is possible ! Today , I am going to talk about string quartet , one of the most perfect and equilibrated chamber ensembles .
The string quartet is usually formed by two violins , one viola and one violoncello . Playing in a string quartet is one of the most difficult things a string player can do , but when the work is done properly the results are absolutely amazing . There is a lot of wonderful music written for string quartet : this formation started in the XVIIIth century and it is still used . You can find string quartets playing from classical music ( such as Mozart , Haydn ) to even jazz and modern or contemporary music ( the Turtle Island Quartet is an example of how jazz sounds when is played by a traditional chamber ensemble ).
You might wonder why chamber music ( and string quartets ) are so special . The answer is quite simple : it is based on dialogue and communication . Playing in a chamber ensemble creates very strong bonds between its musicians . Every member of the group must not only play his / her part properly , but also listen to the other musicians and play with them . A great string quartet must be fully mingled , much like a good basketball player must be in communication with his teammates to figure out how they will develop the game winning instants .
Now that you understand this you can understand any string quartet . Please listen to Ravel ' s String Quartet in F major as an introduction to this wonderful world . In addition to the sonata form I wrote about in my previous article , you will be able to listen the dialogue , the questions and answers between the violins talking between them , the first violin talking with the cello , the viola and the second violin ... This work ( and any good work of its kind ) is a very well built conversation , a journey shared with a few close friends .; the dialogue and mutual understanding as a life goal , shared by the ensemble with the public . Enjoy how every musician supports his teammates and shares melodic lines and beautiful sounds between them . The more we try to understand the dialogue with our equals the closer we get to a wonderful result as Ravel ' s string quartet ; not only in music , but also in our life .