String Quartet in D Minor

The inner voices carry the tension

The first violin’s falling opening gesture is only part of K. 421’s sound. Repeated notes in the second violin and viola continue beneath it, while the cello traces a slower line. Brentano violinist Mark Steinberg hears a dramatic role for those inner pulsations throughout the work. They deserve as much attention in rehearsal as the melody’s expressive curve, even when their notes look less conspicuous on the page.

Balance motion against the longer line

Try the opening without first violin, listening for an even, responsive inner texture. Restore the melody and keep the lower voices audible without making them insistent. Agree where a phrase breathes while the repeated notes continue. Later movements, including the variation finale, change the relationship between these gestures; avoid assuming that one balance will suit the whole quartet.

Music in this edition

1. String Quartet in D Minor