Register in Haydn's String Quartets: Four Case Studies

Abstract

This study argues that register – a neglected subject of music analysis – assumes the status of a primary parameter in Haydn's string quartets. The claim is substantiated with four case studies. The first movement of Op. 9 No. 4 exemplifies registral techniques that Haydn deployed and developed throughout his career as a quartet composer. Op. 20 No. 2 uses register as a main topic of compositional discourse, and as a means of establishing large‐scale connections both within and between movements. The first movement of Op. 76 No. 5 employs register to create stability as well as instability, while the finale of Op. 74 No. 2 epitomises the paradox that registral destabilisation may help to create large‐scale coherence.

quantitative study of pitch registers in string quartets opus 17, by Joseph Haydn

“…Nancy November (2007) carried out a case study in four Haydn string quartets, seeking to demonstrate how the register, in interaction with other compositional parameters, in particular harmony, motive structure, texture, and dynamics, can play a significant role in the modeling of form. She presented a brief study review of the register and made a reflection on the reasons for the SAMPAIO; OLIVEIRA; TRAVASSOS; CASTRO A quantitative study of pitch registers in string quartets opus 17, by Joseph Haydn marginalization of the register study.…”

“…Regarding the pitch registers, authors such as Nancy November (2007), William Drabkin (2000), and Ernst Oster (1961) agree with the importance of studying instrumental pitch registers of musical works. November (2007) demonstrated how the register plays a prominent role in Joseph Haydn's four string quartets, James MacKay (2013) showed the Haydn's ability to use extreme registers to assist formal articulation in works for classic five-octaves keyboards, and Charles Rosen (2001, p. 210) highlighted the extreme registers usage to create climax in the music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. The literature about registers generally emphasizes the formal structure and more descriptive terminology, without quantitative approaches.…”

Recursive/Discursive: Variation and Sonata in the Andante of Mozart's String Quartet in F, K. 590

“…(For an extended, enlightening discussion of registral disposition in the classical string quartet, in this case pertaining to Haydn, see November [2007]). Such examples include the flat mediant recapitulation of the Andante of the Piano Concerto in C, K. 467, which arrives via a "magical" modulation from the dominant of the home key; the subdominant recapitulation of the Sonata in C, K. 545; and the 37 The most striking voicing in the piece is surely to be found in the very last chord.…”