Analysis String Quartet No.3 "Im Innersten" of Wolfgang Rihm

First Movement

As an indication how to perform this movement, at the top of the first page the German word "schroff" is written. It means something like brusque or inaccessible.
Central note in the first movement is A-flat.

m.12-16
the An in the cello and first violin in m.12-14, the G-nat. in the second violin in m.13-14 and even the F-sharp and B-flat in the viola in m.14 are appogiaturas, all leaning on A-flat in m.15-16.
Between m.23-28 the A-flat becomes an appogiatura itself, together with F-sharp: for G-nat. (double leading tone):

It occurs three times in each of the violins:

hear the Arditti Quartet play this

The viola imitates the motive in m.27: A-flat, A-nat,F-sharp
All appearances of this motive occur in a downward motion blown up over three octaves; two times slow, the last time fast.

The expressive effect of octavating (or actually augmented-octavating) these gestures is shown in for instance m.4, where the high A-nat in vl.1 should ‘resolve’ to the A-flat of vl.2 at least on the last beat. Resolution doesn’t follow, it is like knowing your goal without ever reaching it.

In m.31 it becomes clear Rihm uses the gesture of a minor ninth the same way as the (traditional) octave; as in octavated melody.
The A-flat unison in the opening bar has a cluster (on the last beat) as its ‘resolution’:

This chromatic cluster is extended with a B-flat in the next measure, modulating to a complete diatonic cluster.
The perfect fifth of C-G in m.3, reached through the cluster from the previous bar, becomes a little motive in m.25-27 in the cello, counterpointing the descending motive in the violins. As in the Zwischenspiel, it becomes clear here that several chords and clusters are built up outof fifths (where actually the A-flat is an appogiatura to chord-note G here).

Form overview 1st Movement