String Quartet in E flat major op. 54

Introduzione: Adagio. Allegro moderato – Preghiera : Andante con variazioni – Scherzo: Allegro – Finale : Allegro non troppo

In 1828 Onslow discovered the late quartets of Beethoven by way of Pierre Baillot. Simultaneously disconcerted and captivated by them, he was prompted into reconnecting with composing for this instrumental group which he had been avoiding for a number of years. In 1833 and 1834 he composed twelve quartets (his Opp. 46 to 56), in which he proved himself to be at the height of his powers. Op. 54 (1834) demonstrates a searching for a more compact compositional style, where the interplay between the instruments increases, where melody and harmony are equal in their contribution to the work’s dynamic force. The work commences with a striking slow introduction, a meditation washed through with chromaticism – which will be recalled twice over in the following Allegro moderato. The latter places great emphasis on the role of the first violin, although the restless central development section, with scattered mood changes, treats all the instruments on equal terms. Was the Preghiera influenced by the “Heiliger Dankgesang an die Gottheit…” from Beethoven’s Quartet No. 15, Op 132? Spiritual references are not typically to be found in Onslow’s music. The subject of his prayer is firstly sung out in a mood of confidence, then by way of aggressive chords, coming to break up the phrase; a sense of conflict to be found across the five variations. The Scherzo and the Finale are indicative of the ways in which the composer was developing at this time: the numerous contrasts, the rhythmic and harmonic surprises intensifying and dramatizing the discourse. Onslow does not call into question, however, the integrity of the traditional forms, and nor does he does forsake a sonorous attractiveness. For him, music does not exist as part of a metaphysical challenge, but as a lively conversation held between decent inidividuals.