BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1954 1955 FIFTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST THE WIGMORE ENSEMBLE GEOFFREY GILBERT JACK BRYMER JEAN POUGNET THOMAS CARTER FREDERICK RIDDLE ANTHONY PINI MARIA KORCHINSKA Flute Clarinet Violin Violin Viola 'Cello Harp The Sir William Whitla Hall Queen's University, Belfast FRIDAY, JANUARY, 21st 1955

QUARTET IN D MAJOR FOR FLUTE, VIOLIN, VIOLA AND 'CELLO, K.285 W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro Adagio Rondo The year 1777 was an interesting one in Mozart's life; he had reached the age of 21 and had set out on his famous trip to Paris with his mother. He stayed several months in Mannheim and experienced his first love affair with Aloysia Weber. It was here that the Flute Quartet in D was written, probably for a local virtuoso, Wendling. It is a charming, light-hearted work, strongly influenced by the Mannheim school of composers and, though it can hardly be reckoned among Mozart's masterpieces, it can be enjoyed for its youthful exuberance and simplicity. QUINTET IN B MINOR, OP. 115, FOR CLARINET AND STRING QUARTET Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Allegro Adagio Andantino-Presto non assai Con moto It is interesting to reflect how many masterpieces would not have seen the light of day but for the chance meeting of composer and virtuoso. Such indeed is the case with quite a number of clarinet works, e.g., those written by Mozart for Stadler and by Brahms for Mühlfield. Brahm's four works for clarinet came at the end of his life, just when he began to

fear his powers of composition were waning. Of the four, the quintet (written in 1891) is generally judged to be the finest. Throughout it there is a wistful yearning for the companionship and love he had never attained. All four movements end quietly and the first movement's principal theme is recalled at the end of the finale (a set of variations) like a last pang of regret. INTERVAL QUINTET FOR FLUTE, VIOLIN, VIOLA, VIOLONCELLO AND HARP Jean Françaix (b.1912) Andante tranquillo Scherzo Andante Rondo Jean Françaix, one of the most eminent of modern French composers, comes from a family of musicians and succeeded his father as Director of the Conservatoire at Le Mans. He is equally well-known as composer and pianist, having studied composition with Nadia Boulanger and the piano with Isidore Philippe. His music is always deft and refined, it aims at pleasing and entertaining and always succeeds. The quintet was written in 1934 for the Pasquier Trio and other players. Members will recall the delightful string trio by Françaix which was performed by the Pasquier Trio last season. They should equally enjoy this delicate lyrical music, which could only have been written by a French composer.

Lennox Berkeley (b.1903) It seems very appropriate to follow a French composer with Lennox Berkeley, for, of all the modern British school, he has come under French influence the most. This is not surpris- ing when one considers that he studied at the Nadia Boulanger school under Maurice Ravel from 1927 to 1933. Since then his style has become more individual and is characterized by a combination of lyrical and harmonic ripeness with clarity of texture and form. This string trio was written in 1944 and presents no undue problems for the listener in idiom or structure. STRING TRIO INTRODUCTION AND ALLEGRO FOR HARP WITH FLUTE, CLARINET AND STRING QUARTET Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Like the Mozart Flute Quartet this work was written at a most interesting time in the composer's life. Ravel had three times failed to win the Prix de Rome and when he applied in 1905 for a fourth time he was refused entry. The press took up cudgels on his behalf and the matter finally ended with the resignation of Dubois, the head of the Conservatoire, who was replaced by Fauré. Ravel went off for a holiday to Holland and during this time he wrote the Introduction and Allegro. It is not true chamber music in the sense that each instrument has an independent line woven contrapuntally with the others; the harp is the solo instrument and the others accompany it. The material for the work grows out of the two themes announced at the beginning, the first by the flute and clarinet, the second by the strings. Next Concert - FRIDAY, 18th, FEBRUARY 1955 THE GOLDEN AGE SINGERS