Drawing on the composition principles of which were used frequently by César Franck, Debussy’s String Quartet Opus 10 stands on the threshold between the Romantic tradition that had predominated Western music, while also looking forward to the techniques of the opening decades of the 20th century.
Harmony and melody give way to Debussy’s emerging Impressionism, and rhythm often becomes the focus.
Cast in the traditional four-movement pattern, the String Quartet in G minor opens with an animated first movement whose initial theme becomes the principal motivic material for the entire piece.
In the following scherzo, pizzicato and bowed playing are placed in close juxtaposition and even heard simultaneously, not in the typical context of melody and accompaniment, but as equally important aspects.
The Andante third movement is a refreshing repose from the energetic movements that precede it, and it is a gem in its own right. Lushly harmonized and lyrical outer sections frame a passionately introspective central episode that slowly builds in intensity as the melody is passed between the constituents of the quartet.
The sprightly finale, according to Debussy himself, caused him the most grief in its composition. It opens with a slow introduction, serving as an effective bridge from the expressive third movement, before the movement’s chromatically-infused principal theme is heard first in the cello. Debussy creates a compelling conclusion to his quartet as the finale’s forward momentum refuses to be hindered, even in its softer moments, and ultimately culminating in a spirited G major coda.
Here is this special pioneering music by Claude Debussy:
