BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1966-1967 THIRD RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST The Allegri String Quartette ELI GOREN PETER THOMAS PATRICK IRELAND WILLIAM PLEETH Violin Violin Viola Cello SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL Queen's University, Belfast MONDAY, 7th NOVEMBER, 1966 at 7.45 p.m.

String quartet in A major Op 55 no 1 Allegro Andante cantabile Menuetto Finale: vivace This quartet was published in 1789. Twelve quartets in all, three of Op 54, three of Op 55 and six of Op 64, were dedicated to a wealthy merchant and amateur violinist, Joseph Tost. This man is probably to be identified with a Joseph Tost with whom Haydn had come into contact earlier in his career as an orchestral player and violin soloist, who had presumably altered his way of life for the better financially, and was now in the position to patronize instead of being patronized himself. He had this much influence on Haydn that the first violin part frequently assumes an import- ance in excess of that of the other instruments even to the detri- ment of the ensemble as a whole; but this is the great period of Haydn's quartet writing, and, under the outward cover of his characteristic style, he explores in endless depth the possibilities of the form. String quartet in D minor, K 421 Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Allegro moderato Andante Menuetto allegretto Allegretto ma non troppo Written in 1783, this quartet illustrates the essentially tragic element that was always present in Mozart: there are to be found throughout a moroseness and pathos that sometimes turn to tragic murmuring. Even the slow movement brings no real restfulness, as will be seen from its frequent dynamic changes. The main section of the minuet is pessimistic, and the trio contrasts with it, a blunt folk-song. The finale is a generally obstreperous set of variations on a Siciliano theme. Seldom, however, has despair appeared in lovelier guise, and Mozart's greatness as a harmonist is revealed in all its glory. INTERVAL

Quartet in C minor, Op 51 no 1 Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) Allegro Romanze poco adagio Allegretto molto moderato e commodo Allegro Brahms was forty-one when he published his first string quartet, that we are to hear this evening, in 1873. Apparently he had writ- ten a number before this and had destroyed them; there can be little doubt that the reason for this was the challenge of a com- parison with Beethoven, for which reason too he did not produce a symphony till 1876. In the writing of it he did not shrink from direct comparison with his master, for the vigour, force and complexity of this work directly suggest the last quartets of Beethoven. Great as is the force and tumultuous the feeling of this work, it yet does give rise to the complaint that Brahms was trying to get more out of four strings than he could without an occasional turgidity that is not to be found in Beethoven. The instruments used by the members of the Allegri Quartet are as follows: Mr. Goren Mr. Thomas Mr. Ireland Mr. Pleeth Stradivari (1733) Goffriller (1700) Amati (1630) Stradivari (1730)

NEXT CONCERTS: FRIDAY, JANUARY 6TH, 1967 Beethoven Martinu Dvorak THURSDAY, JANUARY 19TH Haydn THE BUDAPEST TRIO Trio in B flat, Op 97 (Archduke) Five pieces for trio Trio in E minor, Op 90 (Dumky) Shostakovitch Beethoven THE CREMONA STRING QUARTET Quartet in C major, Op 74 no 1 Quartet no 3 Quartet in F major, Op 59 no 1 Haydn Beethoven Schubert MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH JOHN SHIRLEY-QUIRK, Bass-baritone MARTIN ISEPP, Pianoforte Four canzonets. An die ferne Geliebte, Op 98. Des Sängers Habe, An die Leier, An den Mond, Wilkommen und Abschied. Vaughan Williams Songs of travel. Ravel Don Quichotte à Dulcinée.