# Favourite Mendelssohn String Quartet



## Feathers

What is your favourite string quartet by Mendelssohn?  Please choose one or two. There aren't that many in total, so it'd make this a pointless poll if you guys chose more. 

I like all of them and believe that they are all strong pieces, if not more. I especially like the three quartets in minor keys (and not because of the keys). The D major quartet is my least favourite (even though I definitely don't dislike it), which is strange because Mendelssohn himself was quite fond of it. But then again, listeners don't always agree with Mendelssohn's judgement of his own music, like with Symphonies 4+5.

The result may or may not be obvious, but I just wanted to bring up Mendelssohn's quartets here, that's all , since they don't seem to be mentioned here much (correct me if I'm wrong).


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## Novelette

His Four Pieces for String Quartet, Op. 81 is my favorite.

The whole assortment is just brilliant. The first movement, Theme and Variations in E, is sentimentally beautiful. The second movement, Capriccio in E Minor, is almost Chopin-esque in its mood. The third movement, Scherzo in A, is best captured by the Emerson Quartet--a fantastic example of Mendelssohn's rollicking Scherzi. The fourth movement, the Fugue in E Flat, is the least interesting of the whole group: a modest, slow, albeit intense little fugue.

Of the string quartets, proper, I could not choose between #3 and #6.


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## Novelette

Oh golly, it's noted that the third string quartet [in D Major] is Feathers' least favorite quartet, and I declare it among my favorite.

Only good feelings, Feathers!


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## Feathers

Oh no I forgot to include Op. 81 in the poll!  The inner movements are brilliant.


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## Feathers

Novelette said:


> Oh golly, it's noted that the third string quartet [in D Major] is Feathers' least favorite quartet, and I declare it among my favorite.
> 
> Only good feelings, Feathers!


Well, Felix himself agrees with you. ^_^


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## Ramako

I love the A minor one!

I haven't been able to get into the others in a big way yet though


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

No. 2 is nothing short of awesome!


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## elgar's ghost

Op. 80 for me. Due the tragic episode resulting in its creation it stands alone from the rest because it has a dark emotional depth to it, something that is unusual for Mendelssohn as his instrumental music was seldom angry and/or bleak. I still like the others, though - Mendelssohn gave good chamber.


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## Skilmarilion

I voted for the Op. 80 as well. It is dark, tragic and incredibly powerful. If only it hadn't been his final work ...

I'm a big fan of the two String Quintets also. His music for any kind of string ensemble is consistently great.


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## Quartetfore

Though I like the first two, I went with the Op.80. I think that it is the most important quartet of its time.


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## Novelette

I always associate F Minor with a heightened sense of tragedy than most minor keys.

It doesn't seem to have been so commonly employed in the Classical Era: a few organ works in Mozart, a single piano trio in Haydn [F1], and his "Un Piccolo Divertimento" for piano, Beethoven''s first and 23rd piano sonatas... [List not meant to be exhaustive]

In these works, there's an especially desperate sound to them almost as though F Minor were reserved for works of especially glum pathos.

Or so it seems.


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## Skilmarilion

Novelette said:


> I always associate F Minor with a heightened sense of tragedy than most minor keys.
> 
> It doesn't seem to have been so commonly employed in the Classical Era: a few organ works in Mozart, a single piano trio in Haydn [F1], and his "Un Piccolo Divertimento" for piano, Beethoven''s first and 23rd piano sonatas... [List not meant to be exhaustive]
> 
> In these works, there's an especially desperate sound to them almost as though F Minor were reserved for works of especially glum pathos.
> 
> Or so it seems.


I agree --Tchaikovsky's 4th, in F minor, conveys a similar atmosphere, imo.


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## Feathers

Ah, nice to see so much love for the F minor quartet. 

I voted for both the A minor and F minor quartets.

I agree with the above posts that the F minor quartet is the most brilliant and powerful one, but I also think that perhaps the A minor quartet is the most "perfect" (in a vague and debatable definition of the word). It seems perfect for its size and ensemble, perfectly youthful yet mature, perfectly masterful yet not academic, and sounds perfectly Mendelssohnian. The fugue in the second movement is definitely a highlight for me, but the whole piece is of consistently high quality.


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## Novelette

Feathers said:


> Ah, nice to see so much love for the F minor quartet.


It deserves its acclaim. You wouldn't believe how many people I have known who dismiss Mendelssohn's music as being too pedantic, yet who have never even listened to any of his music! He seems to have this reputation for stiffness and dry learnedness, yet the reality is that his music is always fresh and always brilliant... In my opinion at least.

I cannot abide those who have harsh opinions on that which they freely admit they have no personal basis for judgment. Mendelssohn deserves so much better, and his string quartets are excellent proof.


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## Avey

Since this poll was posted, I've been listening to the quartets on cycle. My first reaction was to check off F Minor, without a doubt, along with the A Minor...

Buuut, I'm having some difficulty committing to the A Minor. I've always felt his SQ 1 in E_b_ Major, though not as virtuosic or melodic as his later quartets, was the most sublime, peaceful, simply calm_ing_. The D Major Q, stunning in its own right. E_b_ Major, unnumbered, feels, well, sacred, as if it should be reserved for playing on Holy Grounds.

Regardless, I'm withholding til later notice.


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## bagpipers

the E minor,the guitar version very good to


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## KenOC

I have some trouble with Mendelssohn's 2nd quartet too. It has some pretty obvious near-quotes from Beethoven's own A minor, the Op. 132, written just two years before. These are really "sore thumb" passages for me because Mendelssohn doesn't seem to be able to integrate them into the rest of the music. Hey, the guy was only 18 years old! So he can probably be forgiven...


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## Feathers

KenOC said:


> I have some trouble with Mendelssohn's 2nd quartet too. It has some pretty obvious near-quotes from Beethoven's own A minor, the Op. 132, written just two years before. These are really "sore thumb" passages for me because Mendelssohn doesn't seem to be able to integrate them into the rest of the music. Hey, the guy was only 18 years old! So he can probably be forgiven...


He doesn't need to be forgiven because he didn't do anything wrong in the first place. 

To be honest though, I think I see what you mean. However, maybe this is because those near-quotes remind you so much of Beethoven that any other way of integrating into the piece seems a little awkward? I personally heard the Mendelssohn before the Beethoven quartet, so maybe that has an effect on how I view it. It's true that Mendelssohn attempted to imitate Beethoven (consciously and/or subconsciously), especially in his early works, and this makes it tempting for us as listeners to evaluate the quality of Mendelssohn's work based on how successfully it matches up to Beethoven's. I think this is perhaps a little bit unfair for Mendelssohn, because the merit of a composer's work is usually best seen when it is judged for its own merit, not for how well it matches up to another composer's work. Beethoven will always be best at being Beethoven, and Mendelssohn will always be best at being Mendelssohn. 

(Or maybe I'm just biased because I like the quartet so much.)


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## KenOC

Feathers said:


> Beethoven will always be best at being Beethoven, and Mendelssohn will always be best at being Mendelssohn.


Agree with that, and further I have no problem with Mendelssohn quoting Beethoven. I still think he simply bit off more than he could chew. BTW this is the only Mendelssohn work (that I know of) that strikes me that way.


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## Novelette

KenOC said:


> Agree with that, and further I have no problem with Mendelssohn quoting Beethoven. I still think he simply bit off more than he could chew. BTW this is the only Mendelssohn work (that I know of) that strikes me that way.


I hadn't considered this quotation.

In his defense, more than ten years ago, when I was a young, aspiring composer, I totally stole a large section from Beethoven's Violin Concerto and imported it shamelessly into mine--verbatim!

Normally, I'd be embarrassed by it, but I was young. :angel:


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## jurianbai

A solid cycle of string quartets. My favorite is No.1 and his teenage quartet in E flat, then jump to no.6. The canzonetta in quartet no.1 is my favorite sing-able tunes.


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## Novelette

No love for #'s 4 and 5, eh?

That's okay, I have enough love for the whole lot. :tiphat:


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