String Quartet (Ravel)

Maurice Ravel completed his String quartet in F major in early April 1903 at the age of 28. Dedicated to his friend and teacher Gabriel Fauré, the work was introduced in Paris by the Heymann Quartet on March 5, 1904. The quartet follows a strict four movement classical structure: "Moderato très doux" begins as a sonata form allegro, the following "Assez vif-Très rythmé" functions as the quartet's scherzo, while "Très lent" acts as a contrasting foil. The last movement, "Vif et agité", reintroduces themes from the earlier passages and ends with a striking finale.

History

The Quartet in F major was Ravel's final submission to the Prix de Rome and the Conservatoire de Paris. The composition was rejected by both institutions soon after its premier on March 5, 1904. The quartet received mixed reviews from the Parisian press and local academia. Gabriel Fauré, to whom the work is dedicated, described the last movement as “stunted, badly balanced, in fact a failure.” Ravel himself commented on the work, “My Quartet in F major responds to a desire for musical construction, which undoubtedly is inadequately realized but which emerges much more clearly than in my preceding compositions.” As a result of major criticism and rejection, a frustrated Ravel left the Conservatoire in 1905 following what was later called the Ravel Affair.

Ravel's loss during the 1904 Prix de Rome and rejection from the Conservatoire de Paris catapulted his career forward: a sympathetic public rallied behind his compositions and musical style. Claude Debussy wrote Ravel in 1905, “In the name of the Gods of music and in my own, do not touch a single note you have written in your Quartet.” Ravel's string Quartet in F major stands as one of the most widely performed chamber music works in the classical repertoire, representing Ravel's early genius and rise from obscurity.

Movements

# Allegro moderato - Très doux
# Assez vif - Très rythmé
# Très lent
# Vif et agité

Use in Modern Media

A rendering of the second movement of Ravel's Quartet in F Major by the Ysaÿe Quartet was used in Wes Anderson's film "The Royal Tenenbaums" and in the audio addition to the Madacy Entertainment distribution of Fritz Lang's film "Metropolis".

References

*Berger, Melvin. "Guide to Chamber Music". 2001 Dover Publications.
*Demuth, Norman. "Maurice Ravel". 1979 Hyperion Press.
*Orenstein, Arbie. "Ravel: Man and Musician". 1991 Dover Publications. The theme tune for the movie adaption of Mary Wesley's book "The Camomile Lawn" is based on Ravel's Quartet in F major.

External links

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* [http://gardnermuseum.libsyn.com/media/gardnermuseum/ravel_fmajquartet.mp3 Performance by the Musicians from Marlboro] from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
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