About the creation

String Quartet No. 3 by Ze'ev Steinberg
6.8.1981-12.1.1982

In my third string quartet I employed a dodekaphonic (12-tone) series which starts with the notes of my dear wife's name: DO-RE-TI (=do, re, si = C,-D-B), her name being Dorit. The next 4 notes continue the widening of intervals Do-Re (a second)/Re-Si (a third)/Si-Mi (a fourth)/Mi-La (fifth)/La-Fa (Sixth)/ Fa-Sol (seventh). The last five notes are a descending scale and a fourth. From this building material I constructed 4 short movements.

The first movement (Molto Adagio), lets the viola sing the entire 12-tone-row in such a manner, that each tone is 1 eighth-value longer then its preceding note: the first note 1/8, the last note 12/8. The other 3 partners play counterpoint, naturally derived from the viola-theme. A short, faster "ostinato" passage follows and leads into a "development en miniature" of both elements. After a very soft, not too dissonant chord-fermata the first theme is played again, this time by the second violin, but in "inversion", e.g. each rising interval becomes a descending one and vice-versa. Three very soft chords end this movement.

The second movement is a fast (presto) Scherzo in which the interval of the Fourth is very predominant. The Trio uses again the original row (first theme of first movement), but in a very simple rhythmic arrangement, rather like a little song.

The third movement (Andante) is a Passacaglia, e.g. a set of variations over (and under) an ever reccuring melody (of 10 quarters length). After six variations the theme (2ns violin) is heard in "inversion", followed by a free improvisatory part, where theme and inversion are played at different speeds by all four instruments, starting soft and slow, getting faster and louder. 2 more variations are harmonic, another 2 use first countermotion then unison - and again three chords end the Passacaglia.

The last movement is a "Rondino" (Allegretto), not too fast, but light in character. A dancing Rondo-theme is followed by a short and simple unison melody, which is then treated as a little canon. The Rondo-theme reappears in the second violin. A second theme is heard, first from the viola, then continued by all others. A few plucked (pizzicato) chords lead into the Rondo-theme for the third time, here played by the viola. Then all the previous musical substances are brought into a short play, then the first violin plays tje Rondo-theme for the fourth and last time - and two short bars with fast notes close the work.

I have endeavored to avoid any serious technical difficulties for the four partners of the quartet - and I don't think that there are any musical problems for anyone with open ears and an open mind.