BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1960 1961 SEVENTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST The Allegri String Quartet ELI GOREN JAMES BARTON PATRICK IRELAND WILLIAM PLEETH Violin Violin Viola 'Cello FRIDAY, 10th MARCH, 1961 Queen's University, Belfast SATURDAY, 11th FEBRUARY, 1961 at 7.45 p.m.

QUARTET IN D MINOR, K 173 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro ma molto moderato Andantino grazioso Menuetto Fuga: Allegro The group of six quartets, of which this is the last, was the third of the early sets of quartets written by Mozart between 1770 and 1774; this set differs from those which preceded it by being less Italianate, and more influenced by the general musical achieve- ment of Haydn. It was later, in 1783 that the specific influence of Haydn as a quartet writer brought forth Mozart's greatest efforts in this medium. It is to be noted that the chromatic fugato of the last movement is on a theme found often in the 18th century. QUARTET IN E FLAT, Op. 51 Allegro ma non troppo Dumka (Elégie): Andante con moto-vivace-presto Romanze: Andante con moto Finale: Allegro assai Antonin Dvorak (1843-1904) Dvorak had already written six string quartets before this one, which was composed in 1879 and marks his maturity as a composer of chamber music. As with all his quartets, the first thing to note is the glorious richness and variety of the mere sound, and then his capacity to keep the music in motion. The second subject of the first movement is a polka. The Dumka of the second movement is a Slavonic lament form with slow and very fast tempi in contrast. The last movement is a Skocna, a lively reel in 2/4 time. INTERVAL

QUARTET IN B FLAT, Op. 130 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Adagio ma non troppo-allegro Presto Andante con moto, ma non troppo Alla Danza Tedesca: Allegro assai Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo Finale: Allegro This quartet was written in 1825; its last movement was originally the Grosse Fuge, now known as Op. 133, but its length and difficulty caused the publishers to ask for another finale, which was written in 1826, the last completed work that Beethoven wrote. The first movement is the most extensive in any of the quartets. It begins with an adagio which recurs at times in the course of the movement; the frequent, sudden and brief changes of tempo involved did as much as anything to hinder the under- standing of such a work for very many years. The Presto is a ghostly, stealthy and breathless movement. The andante is a not too slow movement of a kind unparalleled in the quartets; it has moments of breath-taking beauty, of the deceptive simplicity characteristic of late Beethoven and is full of sudden quirks and turns. In the German Dance movement he seems to go back to the simple basis of music, but there is an underlying unease, kept well in the background. A cavatina in instrumental music is just a simple form of slow movement; this moved the composer almost more than any other movement he ever wrote. In the one contrast- ing passage in C flat major (introduced by the lower three strings in triplets) he had written the word Beklemmt, anguished, and it sounds like the cry of a soul in torment. The gay, tripping finale is held by many to be a poor substitute for the Great Fugue, but there are those who welcome its carefree contrast to the preceding movement.

Last Concert: Friday, 24th March 2.6 3.11 6.5 CLIFFORD CURZON (Pianoforte) Andante and Variations in F minor Rondo a capriccio, Op. 129 Sonata in F minor, Op. 5 Four impromptus, Op. 90 Alborado del gracioso: Jeux d'eau Méditation sur un motif de Debussy Feux d'artifice 7.2.6 16.6 8-11 8.7.11 J. S. BACH'S ST. JOHN PASSION QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY MUSIC SOCIETY MARION MILFORD ANGELA CARROLL GERALD ENGLISH HARRY NEILL ERIC HINDS BRYAN DOBSON EVAN JOHN Haydn Beethoven FISHERWICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MONDAY, 13th MARCH 7.30 p.m. Brahms Schubert Queen's University Choir and Orchestra Conductor: PHILIP CRANMER Ravel Kodaly Debussy Soprano Contralto Tenor Tenor Baritone Baritone Organ