BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1951 1952 SECOND RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST THE AMADEUS STRING QUARTET NORBERT BRAININ (Violin) SIEGMUND NISSEL (Violin) PETER SCHIDLOF (Viola) MARTIN LOVETT ('Cello) and CECIL ARONOWITZ (Viola) The Sir William Whitla Hall Queen's University, Belfast FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7th 1951

Programme Quintet in D major, K. 593 I Larghetto-Allegro Adagio Menuetto: Allegretto Finale: Allegro Quartet No. 1 This work was composed in 1790, a year before Mozart's death. It has none of the spiritual anguish of the 9 Minor Quintets of three years earlier, but the slow introduction shows at once the elegiac mood which is so characteristic of his last works. The broad first subject of the allegro also furnishes the material for the second subject, which is a canonic variation of it another feature of Mozart's late style. After a develop- ment which in its opening is more than a little reminiscent of Beethoven, and a recapitulation in which further development of theme takes place, the larghetto appears again, but is brusquely ended by a return of the allegro. The adagio is akin in mood to the larghetto. It has a sharply contrasting second subject in the minor mode, and a short development in which an exquisite concertante effect is achieved. Mozart The minuet is forceful and contrapuntally devised, whilst the finale is stamped with the virile, semi-wilful character that distinguishes nearly all the allegro themes of this work. The development spins a contrapuntal web of masterly ingenuity, and the recapitulation, full of surprises, is rounded off by a powerful and vigorous coda. II In one movement. INTERVAL Racine Fricker

Quintet in G Major, Op. 111 III Allegro non troppo, ma con brio Adagio Un poco allegretto Vivace ma non Brahms ppo resto Though Brahms was 57 when he wrote this work, it is as full of sunny good humour as the early Sextets, and indeed surpasses them in its outbursts of high spirits. The opening theme is given to the Cello, and much thought was given to the problem of letting it be heard through the heavy texture of the upper strings. The movement is vigorous and powerful, and is followed by a cavatina which is one of Brahms' loveliest slow movements. The Scherzo and trio, # exquisitely plaintive, has a simplicity of effect that conceals a complexity of polyphonic detail. The finale kicks up its heels in the gayest of spirits, and finally breaks into a new dance tune which acts as a coda and ends the work.

Amadeus Quartet. 51 Hale have Mill Hill NW7 The Committee of the Alliance Francaise have kindly invited members of the British Music Society to attend a Recital to be given in the Great Hall, Queen's University, at 7.45 p.m., on December 10th, 1951, by M. BERNARD FLAVIGNY The Programme for this Recital may be seen on the notice boards in the foyer of this hall. GOLDEN AGE SINGERS Owing to the large number of items in the pro- gramme to be given by this group of madrigal singers, it was not possible to include full details in our circular. The full programme may be seen on the notice boards in the foyer.