Variations on a Theme by Crüger for String Orchestra has been arranged by Joseph I. Corporon. This seven movement arrangement is based on the Lutheran chorale tune, SCHMÜCKE DICH, composed by Johann Crüger in 1653, for a text written by Johann Franck, Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele. The tune name is the incipit of the original German text. SCHMÜCKE DICH is in bar form (AABC) with a lively syncopation in the third phrase. The text and the lively music of the hymn encourage the worshiper to prepare to receive Holy Communion, not solely as a memorial, but also as a celebration of God’s grace.
The uplifting, energetic nature of SCHMÜCKE DICH make it an excellent chorale to explore musically. The seven movements are written in the style of a concerto grosso, with a String Quartet serving as the concertino, and the rest of the instruments as the ripieno.
The opening CHORALE movement is a simple statement of the chorale tune in four-part harmony played by all the strings. The second movement, ALLEGRETTO, expands on that idea, with the concertino playing the four part harmony transformed with new rhythms and flourishes, and the ripieno providing simple pizzicato accompaniment throughout most of the movement. The third movement, ALLEGRO, is scored only for the two Violins and Viola of the concertino. All other instruments are tacet. The Viola is featured as the primary melodic instrument, and the Violins take turns playing quick 16th note accompaniments.
The remaining movements are more expansive and explore the rhythms, harmonies, and tonal centers in different ways.
The fourth movement, LARGO, features the 1st Violin and Violoncello of the concertino as the primary melodic instruments, however, neither one plays a full phrase until the middle passage (mm. 73-78). They share the melody, trading off every beat or two, much like runners in a relay race. The challenge is to make the melody seamless, as if one person were playing it. The Harpsichord is the primary accompaniment instrument with running 16th notes and frequent mordents. The rest of the strings have a simple pizzicato accompaniment.
Movements I-IV are in D major. The final three movements feature a tonal change to F major/D minor.
The fifth movement, ARIOSO, is taken from the Arioso movement of J. S. Bach’s church cantata, Schmücke dich o liebe Seele, BWV 180. It is the only other larger scale work that is based on this same chorale tune. Like the original, the tonal center is in F major. There are some interesting ideas to highlight:
- The soprano solo is shared between the two Violins of the concertino
- The Violoncello piccolo part from BWV 180 is shared between the Viola and Violoncello of the concertino
- An octave accompaniment pattern is added in the Violins of the concertino, and is also used in the next two movements
- The Violoncello and Harpsichord of the ripieno play in this movement while the Violins, Viola, and Contrabass of the ripieno are tacet
The sixth movement, LARGHETTO, is the only movement in a minor key, D minor. The Violins of the concertino play the melody, echoed by the Viola and Violoncello an octave lower. The ripieno provide the accompaniment. The central passage (mm. 159-177) reverts to F major and presents a sweeping, noble variation of the chorale melody that also appears in the final movement.
The seventh and last movement, RONDO ALLEGRO provides an exciting, whimsical tour de force ending to the Variations. The time signature is 6/8, but changes to 9/8 to accommodate the original syncopation in the third phrase of the chorale tune. The rondo begins in F major (mm. 178-232). A fragment of the rondo theme in C major leads back to D major.
The octave accompaniment introduced in the ARIOSO is used throughout this movement. The noble variation of the chorale melody from the LARGHETTO appears again (mm. 293-312), this time with an arpeggiated accompaniment played by Violin II. First and second endings refer back to the ALLEGRETTO and ALLEGRO movements. A statement of the rondo theme in D minor (mm. 345-358) is followed by the final Coda section. It begins with quadruple stops echoed between the concertino and ripieno. As the quadruple stops are then played unison by the whole group, Violin I brings the movement to a conclusion with a dramatic ascending triplet passage.
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