String Quartet No. 1, “From My Life”
27 min
Recording
- CompleteCurtis String Quartet: Jascha Brodsky, violin I; Charles Jaffe, violin II; Max Aronoff, viola; Orlando Cole, cello · 6 March 1940, New York27:03
The Curtis String Quartet recorded Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1 in E minor, “From My Life”, in New York in March 1940, and Columbia issued it on seven 78-rpm sides. Smetana described the four movements as episodes from his life, and the finale contains a high note representing the whistling in his ears.
Listening notes
- Opening chord and viola theme
All four instruments open with a chord marked sff. The violins then repeat quavers over a long note in the cello, and the viola enters on the last beat of bar 4 with the first theme, marked sf espress. in bar 5.
- Letter to Josef Srb-Debrnov, 1878
Smetana described the first movement as love of music in his youth, with a longing he could not put into words and a premonition of future misfortune.
- Columbia set M-405, 1940
Columbia issued this recording as set M-405; its catalogue of October 1940 lists the set at eight sides. The quartet fills seven sides, with the first movement on sides 1 and 2. A side of the scherzo from Tchaikovsky’s Third Quartet completes the set.
- Second movement, alla Polka
The second movement is marked Allegro moderato alla Polka. Smetana wrote that it recalled the cheerful years of his youth, when he composed dances and was known as a passionate dancer.
- Meno vivo in D♭ major
The middle section of the polka, marked Meno vivo, is in D♭ major. Smetana wrote that the players said they could not get the chords in tune. He added easier alternatives in small notes for the violins and viola.
- Third movement, Largo sostenuto
In a letter to Srb of 12 April 1878, Smetana wrote that the third movement, Largo sostenuto, recalls the happiness of his first love, the girl who later became his wife.
- First performances
Dvořák played the viola at a private performance in April 1878. The first public performance was at the Konvikt in Prague on 29 March 1879, played by Ferdinand Lachner, Jan Pelikán, Josef Krehan and Alois Neruda.
- Letter from Liszt, 1880
On 5 May 1880 Liszt wrote to Smetana from Weimar. He praised Má vlast and the overture to Libuše, and asked for the parts of the quartet.
- Finale, Vivace
Smetana described the finale as the discovery of national music and his joy at success on that path. This is broken off by the high note that marks the onset of his deafness. In his account, a small hope follows, and then a painful memory of his first years.
- Held high E, first violin
The running figures stop, and the first violin holds a high E, written under an 8va line, above sustained chords in the other three instruments. In his letter to his publisher of 21 July 1879, Smetana described it as the high whistling that announced his deafness.
- Closing tempo changes and final chords
After the held E the score marks Moderato, then Allegro, then a closing Meno marked p dolce. The last chords are pizzicato and pp.