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Here is a term paper, dated February 11, 1992. It was written in graduate school and received an A. As with other papers on this site, the examples used have since been lost.

The late string quartets of Ludwig von Beethoven are monumental works in the development of the evolution of tonality in the 19th century.  Opus 131, No. 2 is a movement from the C-sharp minor quartet – one of only two pieces Beethoven wrote in this key.  In both pieces, he chose to open the piece with a slow movement.  For Op. 131, the first movement is a fugue, followed an Allegro movement in the key of D major – an unusual tonal relation to the overall key of C-sharp minor.  The movement is an abridged sonata form, and this is the movement to be discussed in this paper.

The movement begins with a theme which may be broken into an antecedent and a consequent, each consisting of 4 measures.  The octave leap which begins the movement was foreshadowed by the cadence of the first movement, which ended with a C-sharp octave leap (ex. 1).

(Example here)

The theme is first presented in its entirety by the first violin.  At the end of each statement of the theme is the direction poco rit, which gives an unusual rhythmic flow to the melody.  The viola answers in the tonic with the antecedent of the theme, and the first violin completes the theme by playing the consequent.  The accompaniment changes from the first statement (which contained syncopated dotted quarter notes in the three lower parts) to triplets in the higher parts and a more detached rhythm in the lower parts.

Measures 16-24 continue material from the consequent of the main theme.  From measure 24 until the fermata at measure 48 is a bridge which has a theme related to the subject and is distributed among the four parts.  Its rhythm of alternating quarter and eighth notes is based on measures of the main theme containing the same rhythm (the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth measures of the main theme).  This material modulates to F-sharp minor by measure 41, and cadences on the dominant (C-sharp) at measure 48.

The E-natural on the second beat of measure 48 begins a new statement of the theme, and the second section.  This section begins in E major, which leads to the key of A major.  After the complete statement of the theme in E major, the section modulates to A major, exhibited by D-naturals which had previously been D-sharps.  Measures 57-62 are solidly in the key of A major, and continue the theme consequent.

Though the second section begins with a statement of the main theme in E major, it quickly deviates and introduces a lively melodic section which is not a true lyrical second theme, but takes the place of one, as seen in example 2.

(Example)

This section reoccurs in the recapitulation in the tonic, as a second section should in a sonata form.

The melodic material in the second section is a sequence based on the consequent of the main theme.  Following the motivic material, during measures 76-77 (ex. 3a), is a brief reference to the bridge material from measures 26-40 (ex. 3b).

Example 3a

Example 3b

This, along with the group of motives preceeding it, leads from the dominant (A major) to the recapitulation in the tonic.

The recapitulation occurs at measure 84 on the second beat in the tonic in the viola.  The first part of the subject is extended by a repetition of its first half, this time with the first violin doubled an octave lower by the second violin, and alternating groups of eigth notes between the viola and cello.

The bridge material which originally followed the initial statements of the theme is omitted in the recapitulation.  It is, however, referred to later in the restatement of the second section and in the coda.  What appears in its place is a reference to the motivic material of the second section, transposed to the key of E minor, which allows the material to return in the tonic.

The end of the second section in the recapitulation contains a statement of the main theme which begins in the subdominant – stated in the cello – but shifts to the first violin, which completes the statement in the tonic.

After the last statement, the triplet motion of the accompaniment of the theme continues as the coda begins.  The coda brings back a reference to the bridge in the original section, and this is varied to provide a fortissimo climax (ex. 4).

Example 4

From this point, there is a solid use of the dominant, which leads to a quiet cadence.

The second movement of the Op. 131 string quartet is a departure from the otherwise contemplative movements of the piece.  This is not to say that it is a departure formally, however.  The formal complexities of the movement are many.  The keys to understanding this movement are by noting the differences in restatements of sections, but not allowing those differences to alter one’s conclusions of the form.  This is an abridged sonata, but with no development and no true second theme.  A melodic section containing motives based on the main theme acts formally as a second section, and aurally as a means to connect the exposition with the recapitulation while still maintaining variety and interest.

The relationship of the key of the movement (D major) to the key of the entire work (C-sharp minor) is unusual, as is its altered sonata form.  Nevertheless, the elements which are unusual about the movement are the same things which make it most intriguing.  This movement is a magnificent example of the boudaries toward which Beethoven was reaching at this late stage in his life as a composer.