BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1954 1955 THIRD RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST THE VEGH QUARTET SANDOR VEGH (Violin) SANDOR ZOLDY (Violin) GEORGES JANZER (Viola) PAUL SZABO (Violoncello) The Sir William Whitla Hall Queen's University, Belfast FRIDAY, NOVEMBER, 12th 1954

QUARTET IN A MINOR, OP. 29 Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Allegro ma non troppo Andante Menuetto: allegretto Allegro moderato Schubert's chamber music shows a much more normal development towards maturity than his songs do, and so it is relevant to say that this quartet, written in 1824, borders upon his last period works. For sheer lyrical beauty it can scarcely have been surpassed. Two outstanding characteristics can be heard at the beginning of the first movement: Schubert's genius for enhancing the repeat of a phrase by altering one or two notes, and his fondness for holding the major and minor key in the balance, one against the other. The slow movement uses again a theme originally written for the Rosamunde music, and there seem to be, in the trio and last movement, some oblique references to Die Schöne Müllerin, QUARTET IN A FLAT MAJOR, OP. 105 Anton Dvorak (1841-1904) Adagio ma non troppo Molto vivace Lento e molto cantabile Allegro non tanto This is one of Dvorak's last chamber works; it contains some ravishingly beautiful sounds, and shows well his mastery

of instrumental lay-out. The first movement has a notable development section, and the nostalgic sentiment of the slow movement comes as a strong contrast to the furious dramatic cross-rhythms of the scherzo. INTERVAL QUARTET IN F MAJOR Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Allegro moderato-très doux Assez vif-très rhytmé Très lent Vif et agité Ravel was a great experimenter in curious and unusual effects, both in harmony and texture. The first movement of this quartet has some beautiful harmonic effects, many of which are immediately repeated. The scherzo again comes second, and again has many cross-rhythms. The slow movement is remark- able for many contrasts between muted and unmuted tone, and the finale (in 5/8 time) rushes headlong to its end.

NEXT CONCERT - SATURDAY, 4th DECEMBER SUZANNE DANCO, Soprano FREDERICK STONE, Pianoforte A group of early Italian songs by Monteverdi, Bononcini, Grandi and Ariosti. Fauré: Aurore, Prison, Soir. Debussy: Fêtes galantes (En sourdine; Fantoches; Clair de lune). Ravel: Histoires naturelles (Le paon; Le grillon; Le cygne; Le martin pêcheur; La pintade).