Will Cox
Mrs. Lee
Honors Music Theory
11 May 2016
							Analysis of Andante Cantabile from Tchaikovsky’s First String Quartet
	Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer in the late-romantic era, living from 1840 until 1893. In this time, he would compose some of the best known Russian romantic pieces, such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and the music for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Tchaikovsky is often credited for being the first Russian composer to make music that had a wide international influence. Despite all of his success in life, he is often characterized as being a tormented figure, both with personal crises and possible being depressed throughout his life. His death is also something debated between historians; the two theories being that he either died of cholera or that he killed himself. Those who say that he committed suicide attribute it to his sexuality, and the fact that being homosexual was a large target for discrimination in Russia during this time.

	Andante Cantabile is the second movement of his String Quartet No. 1 in D major. The quartet was first performed at a tribute concert to Leo Tolstoy, who is said to have been brought to tears by the Andante. The piece begins in Bb major with the melody in the first violin. The theme is in the form of a period, with the first four measures being the basic idea that ends on a half cadence. For the most of the piece, the first violin has the melody with the other instruments providing the harmony. The “A” part carries on for a bit, moving to the dominant key (F major) and the relative minor (G minor) occasionally. A few measures before the “B” part, the second violin stands on what can either be analyzed as the tonic or dominant, to emphasize a transition to a new part.
In this section, in Db major, the violin plays the melody with the cello providing a steady bass line of eighth notes that gives the picture of someone walking, whistling the violin melody. After the melody is restated, it proceeds to transfer to the relative minor (Bb minor) without the use of a pivot chord or anything. This section can be seen as a “B-1,” for it is the same rhythm as the original “B.” Not only is the key different, in this section the second violin plays in unison (albeit an octave lower) with the first violin, but only the first time the melody is stated. Three measures before the next section, standing on the dominant coupled with a decrescendo emphasizes that a new section is about to begin. Something interesting to note is that the main chord for these parts is the tonic. I find it amazing how Tchaikovsky is able to make such a beautiful and moving part, yet make it so simple as just standing on the tonic.

	This section, which can be seen as “A-1,” begins with a three note intro into the main theme from the beginning, played in unison with the First and second violins and the viola. What makes this part different, is that the cello effectively has a solo while the other instruments play the same thing as the beginning. This section is in the tonic key (Bb major) and mainly features the cello. After some transitional material that doesn’t seem to have a theme and definitive structure, a new part based on the “B” theme begins.
In this part, the melody is played in the first violin, with the other three instruments plucking the harmony. This can be seen as “B-2,” for the violin plays the same melody, just in a different key with a different accompaniment. Around twenty measures before the end, all four instruments begin to play, with the main theme still being in the first violin. It stays like this until the end, with the other 3 instruments providing the harmony (and contrast) to the main theme. The piece ends on a plagal cadence, which may not sound as final, but it greatly complements the piece as a whole, giving it a sweeter, almost more peaceful ending than a loud and final V - I.