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15
TALICH QUARTET
Thefirstmovement(
allegro
)beginswithanexpressionofangeranddisappointment,
but the second theme is more serene, the musician withdrawing into solitude. The
following
allegro moderato
recalls the previous quartet, not only in the use of the
key of E minor, but also in the fact that it is a polka; this gives way, in the
andante
cantabile
, to a tender lullaby with a
dumka
rhythm. More serious in tone, the third
movement (
Allegro non più moderato, ma agitato e con fuoco
) reveals elements of a
fugue. The writing gives the impression of having lost its bearings, with constant
discontinuations.
Probably unwittingly, Smetana pays tribute here to Beethoven. The writing is very
elaborate and there are references to his opera
The Devil’sWall
. The last movement
(presto) is decidedly Czech in flavour. Indeed, in the attractively syncopated polka
the composer bids a vibrant farewell to a culture that he constantly advocated
throughout his career. Very aptly, he entitled this finale ‘Triumph over destiny’.
Such concision and density were new at that time. Arnold Schoenberg expressed
his admiration for this quartet and studied it in detail, and Leoš Janáček admitted
Smetana’s influence on his own compositions.
The quartet was first performed in Prague (Konvikt) on 3 January 1884, four months
before the composer’s death.