String Quartet No. 2 (Ives)

The String Quartet No. 2 by Charles Ives is a work for string quartet written between 1907 and 1913.[1] It was premiered in New York City on 11 May 1946 by a Juilliard School student ensemble.[2]

The quartet is a programmatic work depicting four men who "converse, discuss, argue (in re 'Politick'), fight, shake hands, shut up – then walk up the mountain side to view the firmament!"[3]

Movements

The work is in three movements:

  1. Discussions (Andante moderato-Andante con spirito-Adagio molto)
  2. Arguments (Allegro con spirito)
  3. The Call of the Mountains (Adagio-Andante-Adagio)

Quotations

As characteristic of Ives' style, he quotes American tunes including "Dixie's Land", "Marching Through Georgia", "Turkey in the Straw", "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean", "Massa in De Cold Ground", "Bethany", "Nettleton", and "Westminster Chimes", alongside quotations from works of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and even Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" theme.

References
  1. "CHARLES IVES – String Quartet No. 2 – String Quartets – A Most Intimate Medium". Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  2. "Charles Ives String Quartet No. 2 Notes". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
  3. "String Quartet No. 2, for string… | Details". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-04-18.
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