BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1963 1964 SEVENTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST ★ THE AEOLIAN STRING QUARTETTE SYDNEY HUMPHREYS RAYMOND KEENLYSIDE WATSON FORBES DEREK SIMPSON Violin Violin Viola Cello SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL Queen's University, Belfast THURSDAY, 5th MARCH, 1964 at 7.45 p.m.

Quartet in B flat major, K 458 Allegro vivace assai Menuetto: moderato Adagio Allegro assai This is one of the six quartets written in 1784 under the influ- ence of Haydn and dedicated to him. It is known as the Hunt Quartet because the opening suggests hunting horns, but the name has no real significance. Like most of what Mozart wrote in B flat it has a dignified gaiety and enjoys an unmatched popularity. Quartet No. 5 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro Adagio molto Scherzo alla Bulgarese Andante Allegro vivace Bartók Béla (1881-1945) This quartet was written in 1934. There is the closest relation- ship between the first and the fifth movement, and between the second and fourth, the most obvious at first hearing being in mood. In the first movement the strongly rhythmic first subject is given out immediately; then comes a bridge passage character- ized by a trill on the second note, then the second subject which bears a close resemblance to the first, followed by the third, a flowing melody with pizzicato accompaniment on the cello. The development deals mainly with the first and second subjects. The recapitulation, after a glance at the first subject, then takes them up in reverse order, and all of them inverted. It is possible to say that it revolves round the key of B flat. As in the whole work, there is a strong contrapuntal interest. The second movement in key is D-ish. It starts very sparsely and its interest seems to be in the creation of atmosphere; soon there comes a succession of common chords on the lower instru- ments with the first violin playing apparently unconnected figures. In this and the shortened recapitulation the atmospheric interest is maintained until the movement quietly bubbles to an end. Bartók's interest in folk music comes to the fore in the famous Bulgarian scherzo. This element is obvious, and the listener, whose ears can hardly escape being stunned by the daily repetition of the monotonous "beat" of popular music, would be well advised to

concentrate on the complicated patterns of rhythm that are simultaneously maintained. The andante is again a study in atmosphere, the key revolving round G. Much use is made of the pizzicato glissando. There is considerable resemblance in form to the second movement, but a middle section builds up to something more exciting than is found there. The complicated last movement is a study in conterpoint of great variety. Like the first movement it is "on" B. After all types of polyphonic experiment, which, in view of the speed of the movement it would be unhelpful to draw attention to, there comes a startling change. A common and vulgar tune in A major is intro- duced, apparently to be made fun of and shortly afterwards the quartet ends. Similar mockery is to be heard in the Concerto for Strings (to be heard later in the spring from the B.B.C. orchestra) and in the Viola Concerto. INTERVAL Quartet in F major, Op 135 (Posthumous) Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Allegretto Vivace Lento assai, cantante e tranquillo Grave ma non troppo tratto allegro After the profound spiritual upheaval that characterized the previous late quartets of Beethoven it looks as if he sought refreshment of spirit in the composition of this work, slighter in form, more relaxed on the surface, but as deep in intent as any of its predecessors. Beethoven's late characteristic of melody startling in simplicity, bewitching in beauty, and capable of infinite development, is amply illustrated in the first two move- ments. The slow movement, for all its economy of writing, is so profound that its beauty can be overwhelming; it is indeed what Beethoven called it, a sweet song of rest and peace. The slow section that precedes the last movement starts with a three note figure to which Beethoven set the words "Muss es sein?", "Must it be?" The question is searchingly posed, and then answered in the allegro with another three note figure "Es muss sein," "It must be." In spite of the affirmative answer and the general optimism of the movement, there is an underlying current of uncertainty.