Silence is the backdrop before which composers play out their musical dramas. It’s vital, but normally it’s shy and stays well in the background, busily defining phrasing, articulation, etc.
There are, however, one or two pieces in which an absence of sound becomes one of the principal actors; in which it delivers its very own soliloquy. One such is the opening movement of the second of Beethoven’s Razumovsky Quartets:
I. Allegro
II. Molto Adagio (11:05)
III. Allegretto (Trio, Thème Russe) (24:04)
IV. Finale. Presto (30:56)
← Back to week 4
← Back to week 3
← Back to week 2
← Back to week 1
Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as “fair use”, for the purpose of study, and critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of the copyright owner(s).
The Art of Listening 