Beschreibung
Quartet No. 2 is scored for a traditional string-quartet ensemble. In this work, the first violin is cast consistently in the role of the primarius, in the manner of the quatuor brillant so much in vogue at the turn of the nineteenth century. In terms of form, this piece exhibits many of the traditional string-quartet features, but with some unconventional touches mixed in as well.
The work opens with a haunting recitative section, with the first violin articulating the solo voice over a tremolo accompaniment. This leads to a ternary episode; here, the hymn-like A sections frame a minore passage that is agitato in character, featuring virtuosic triplet flourishes in the first violin. The second movement is a brief theme-and-variations form; again, the first violin is the most prominent member of the ensemble, supplying both the lyrical theme as well as the bulk of the variations activity.
The third movement (3 / 4, Prestissimo) is set in a standard ternary configuration, with the central section modulating to the subdominant; the return of the A section features a major / minor contrast in the home key. This leads directly to the final movement, an Andante in G major / minor that recalls the serene character of the opening movement. And, as a coda, Dragonetti revisits the material from the Prestissimo.