Voces intimae (Sibelius)
| Voces intimae | |
|---|---|
| String quartet by Jean Sibelius | |
The composer in 1913
|
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| Key | D minor |
| Catalogue | Op. 56 |
| Composed | 1909 |
| Performed | 25 April 1910 |
| Movements | 5 |
| Scoring |
|
Voces intimae ("Intimate voices" or "Inner voices"), Op. 56, is the title of a string quartet by Jean Sibelius. He composed the work in D minor, structured in five movements, in 1909. It is the only major work for string quartet of his mature period.[1]
History
As a student, Sibelius composed several works for string quartet. In 1885 he finished a string quartet in E-flat major, followed in 1889, after quite a few individual movements for this combination, by a string quartet in A minor. The first string quartet to receive an opus number was in 1890 the quartet Op. 4 in B-flat major.[1] Afterwards he wrote no string quartets until Voces intimae in 1909. Composed between his Third and Fourth Symphony,[2] it remained "the only major work for string quartet of Sibelius's mature period".[1]
Sibelius composed the quartet from December 1908, working on it in London in early 1909. The Latin title, translating to "Intimate Voices" or "Inner voices", marks a "conversational quality"[2] and "inwardness" of the music. The composer wrote about his work in a letter to his wife: "It turned out as something wonderful. The kind of thing that brings a smile to your lips at the hour of death. I will say no more."[1] Sibelius showed it to his publisher de on 15 April 1909.[1]
The first performance was on 25 April 1910 at the Helsinki Music Institute on 25 April 1910. A review in the Helsingin Sanomat noted: "The composition attracted a great deal of attention, and it is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant products in its field. It is not a composition for the public at large, it is so eccentric and out of the ordinary."[1] Sibelius later wrote about the composition: "The melodic material is good but the harmonic material could be 'lighter', and even 'more like a quartet.'"[1]
Structure and music
Sibelius structured the quartet in five movements:[1]
- Andante – Allegro molto moderato
- Vivace
- Adagio di molto
- Allegretto (ma pesante)
- Allegro
The work opens with a dialogue of violin and cello.[2] The first movement contrasts "murmurous figuration with firm chords".[2] The second movement is a scherzo in A major, connected to the first by musical motifs.[2] The central slow movement has been described as a "soulful quest for serenity in F major". It contains "three detached, soft chords in E minor, remote from any of the previous harmonic implications",[2] to which Sibelius added the "voces intimae" in a friend's score.[2] A second scherzo is also connected by motivic similarity to the first movement. The finale, "with more than a hint of folk fiddling",[2] grows in intensity by markings from Allegro to "sempre più energico" (always more energetic), described as "fiercely accented music of forceful contrasts but irresistible momentum".[2]
Arrangements
The Finnish violinist and composer Pekka Kuusisto has arranged the work for chamber orchestra, which was included in Kuusisto's 2009 Australian tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.[3]
Literature
- Beat Föllmi (ed.): Das Streichquartett in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts (German), Verlag Hans Schneider, Tutzing 2004
- Tomi Mäkelä: "Jean Sibelius und seine Zeit" (German), Laaber-Verlag, Regensburg 2013
References
External links
- String Quartet "Voces intimae", Op.56: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Jean Sibelius / String Quartet in D minor ("Voces Intimae"), Op. 56 AllMusic
- Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) / String Quartet in d minor, Op. 56, Voces intimae (Intimate Voices) earsense.org
