For Subscribers

Masterclass: Erik Schumann on the Haydn ‘Sunrise’ Quartet, first movement

2023-12-06T09:16:00

Schumann-KaupoKikkas6

Erik Schumann, first violinist of the Schumann Quartet, looks at how a good structural understanding of the work’s first movement can lead to a more profound interpretation

Haydn is one of my favourite quartet composers, and the ‘Sunrise’ Quartet is one of the first pieces the Schumann Quartet played together. Haydn’s works inspired quartets by Mozart and Beethoven, and they are very good training for playing the later Classical repertoire. He wrote very few markings in his scores, so we need to look carefully at the music to explore the structure and most important harmonic elements, to see why he wrote everything that he did. Having an understanding of the theoretical construction of the piece, and looking at how that construction brings life and character to the music, gives us a framework for our emotions.

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.