The works on this program span 122 years, tracing a path from the Classical era into early Romanticism and ending in 20th century France. Each piece represents a distinct aesthetic- a crystallization of the worlds, both external and internal, in which they were created. 

Quartettsatz dates from 1820. Schubert was 23 years old and on the threshold of a compositional breakthrough that would carry him into his "mature phase". Quartettsatz is the first movement of an unfinished string quartet and bears some resemblance to his Unfinished Symphony, written two years later. The nature of these works was unprecedented for Schubert at the time- they represent a great stride in his output- and further yet, they were a completely new sound for the entire genre. The repeated figure, for example, that opens Quartettsatz is uniquely Schubert. Such style was novel for the time and stands firmly apart from anything found in the string writing of Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart.

Quartettsatz resembles an overture in the way it moves quickly through its thematic material. There is an electric, restless quality to the music that is spun out through repeated rhythmic gestures. But the piece never fully erupts and its intensity is shrouded in muted colors and a good deal of pianissimo. Its tonic key, C Minor, contains flats rather than sharps. The result is a kind of murky timbre- a fuzziness that dares us to sink further into the mist as we try to make the piece heard. 

It is remarkable that some of Schubert's most performed works are, in a sense, fragments; this speaks to their modernity.

In comparison to Quartettsatz, Haydn's String Quartet Opus 33 No. 5- nicknamed "How Do You Do"- is in G Major and feels like stepping into bright, stark daylight. Next to Schubert's brooding essay , "How Do You Do" is downright toothsome. There are many of what we call "carrots" in the score- markings above the notes in the shape of wedges- to indicate a clearly emphasized, but not razor sharp, articulation. 

There are six quartets within the Opus 33 set, all written in 1781. Haydn had recently renegotiated terms with his employer, Prince Nikolaus of the Esterházy family, allowing him to write and sell music for parties outside of the Esterháza estate.  Haydn's new found freedom brought him international attention and acclaim. The significance of this is great, not only for Haydn but also for the development of Western Classical Music. It set a precedent for future composers to have more control of their music and their careers, paving the way for new relationships between composers and scores and performers- and eventually ushering in the Romantic era. 

There is much within the String Quartet Opus 33 No. 5 that indicates a broadened sense of place and outlook. A variety of styles are employed throughout the work. I hear elements of Italian Renaissance music in the final movement's rhythms and harmonies in combination with a jovial, pastoral quality  which shows up in the 3rd movement as well. The second movement acts as an operatic lament (Haydn had recently conducted Gluck's Orfeo and Euridice at Esterháza) while the first movement's bright and quirky material unfold around an ascending phrase: "How Do You Do", a statement rather than a question.

Similarly to Haydn and Schubert, Ravel was in a transformative space while composing his String Quartet in F Major. The piece dates from 1903, just as Ravel was leaving the Paris Conservatory. He had already written some of his most famous works, though they were not initially celebrated. At the time, Ravel was associated with a group of Paris artists and musicians that were casually referred to as Les Apaches ("The Hooligans"). Self described artistic outcasts, Les Apaches gathered together to discuss their vision of artistic enterprise and propel one another in their endeavors. They championed the musical innovations of Debussy- and it was on Debussy's string quartet that Ravel based the form of his own. But beyond the basic framework, there is little similarity between these works. 

While Debussy writes in symbolic, dream-like streams of consciousness, Ravel plays with traditional structure and repetition, exploring the parameters of classicism. Musical phrases are reused and reworked which emphasizes, for me, an overarching quality of nostalgia running throughout the whole piece. There is something extraordinary in the timbrel environment that Ravel achieves, perhaps through a combination of harmony, voicing, and tempo. The music gently demands the warmest of tones. While rehearsing the piece, I sometimes imagine my fingerboard is covered in soft material, as if we are playing through a veil that dampens yet expands the sound.

Schubert, Haydn, and Ravel provide us the opportunity of exploring sound worlds that are endlessly intriguing. Our goal is to engage ourselves, along with you, in this exploration. I spoke of crystallization at the beginning of these notes and it strikes me now that that concept implies a solidifying- a finality- which can be a dangerous notion in the realm of interpretation and performance. So I'd like to reframe that statement now by emphasizing that this music, though written in the past, becomes a part of the present as we perform and you listen.