[DTM Classic] Hummel / String Quartet No. 3 - Homage to Haydn and Mozart

November 14th is the anniversary of Hummel's death.

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837)'s String Quartets Op. 30 are a set of three works generally believed to have been composed around 1804, during the period when Hummel served as Konzertmeister for the Esterházy family, succeeding Haydn. They were dedicated to Prince Lobkowitz, who was also known as a patron of Beethoven.

Musical Characteristics

Hummel was a student of Mozart and a rival of Beethoven who was active in Vienna during the same era. This set of Op. 30 quartets stands in contrast to the innovative (or perhaps framework-breaking) approach Beethoven demonstrated in his Op. 18.
Hummel instead took an approach based on the Viennese Classical style established by his teachers, Mozart and Haydn, incorporating refined melodies and brilliant virtuosity. Overall, the music is highly fluid, pleasant to the ear, and possesses a well-balanced formal beauty, while simultaneously demanding a high level of technical skill from the performers (especially the first violin). This E-flat major quartet is composed in the classic four-movement form, but the third movement is particularly distinctive.

1st Movement: Allegro con spirito It begins dramatically with two powerful chords. It then proceeds according to sonata form; the first theme has a chromatic and supple melody, while the second theme is bright and cheerful, very much reminiscent of Haydn. It is a substantial movement that feels heavily influenced by the "Haydn Quartets" that Mozart dedicated to Haydn, as well as Haydn's own late quartets (such as Op. 76).
2nd Movement: Andante A beautiful, cantabile slow movement. The handling of the melody has a precision reminiscent of the contrapuntal writing of Baroque music, similar to the slow movement of Mozart's "Dissonance" Quartet.
3rd Movement: Allemande e alternativo This is the most original movement of the set. Instead of a traditional minuet or scherzo, Hummel adopted the "Allemande," a German dance dating back to the Baroque era. The Allemande played here is not so much an elegant dance as it is a highly individual piece of music that is powerful, propulsive, and foot-stomping (described in one commentary as "heavy and powerful"). The middle section (Alternativo) also uses a German dance that is lighter and faster in tempo than the Allemande.
4th Movement: Finale: Presto A very fast and exciting finale in 6/8 time. It has a sense of speed that has been compared to a "hunt" or a "steeplechase," leading the listener to the conclusion in a state of frenzy. This type of rapid finale is said to anticipate the style frequently seen later in the works of Schubert.

Now that the MIDI programming for the three Op. 30 string quartets is complete, I plan to write an article at a later date about this unique collection of string quartets left behind by Hummel.