BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1969-1970 THIRD RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST THE AEOLIAN STRING QUARTET SIDNEY HUMPHREYS RAYMOND KEENLYSIDE MARGARET MAJOR DEREK SIMPSON SIR WILLIAM WHITLA HALL Queen's University, Belfast Violin Violin Viola Cello SATURDAY, 13th DECEMBER, 1969 Price : 1/-

Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20 No. 5 Allegro moderato Menuetto Adagio Finale Haydn was the first great writer of string quartets and certainly the most prolific - there are about 80 in all. The six works of Opus 20 were composed in 1772 and are sometimes known as the "Sun Quartets", simply because of a pictorial engraving in an early edition. In three of them Haydn deliberately exploits contrapuntal procedures, though in much of his earlier work he already makes good use of the melodic possibilities of all parts and though on the other hand the first violin still has, as it continues afterwards to have, more than its share of elaborate figuration, especially in the slow movement. In this F minor quartet the finale is marked "Fuga a due soggetti", that is, two themes appear virtually simultaneously at the outset, one of them being similar to a theme from a current rival musical attraction, and in the same key, too. Many of the technical features which occur from time to time in one fugue or another are brought together here tonal answer, stretto, augmen- tation, pedal-point, and one passage marked by the composer "al rovescio" in which the main subject appears upside down simul- taneously with its normal form, a sort of mirror writing; there is also a prolonged close canon, indicated by the composer, between first violin and cello. In the slow movement a curious direction at one point, "per figuram retardationis", seems to indicate that the florid violin part is deliberately intended to sound out of step with the accompanying harmonies. The key of the piece, F minor, gives it its marked character of sombre warmth, with a sotto voce intensity in the finale. String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 Largo Allegro molto Allegretto Haydn Largo Largo Shostakovich Of the leading contemporary composers Shostakovich has written more symphonies and quartets than most (at least eleven of the latter), which is not surprising since his music is of the rather old- fashioned type which suits these forms. Quartet No. 8 was written in 1960 and is in the definite key of C minor. The opening largo starts as though the work is going to be as contrapuntally elaborate as the finale of tonight's Haydn quartet, but it is not to be, since much of the quartet, as often in Shostako- vich's music in general, has a simple interplay of only two or three

melodic lines, or often just one line with a simple accompaniment. This does mean, however, that most of its significance is clear at a first hearing. The five movements are continuous, with the last most obviously. reminiscent of the first, but all movements make use, in one rhythmic form or another, at one point or another, of the opening four notes of the first. INTERVAL Quartet in B flat, Op. 130 Adagio ma non troppo - Allegro Presto Andante con moto, ma non troppo Alla danza tedesca (allegro assai) Cavatina (Adagio molto espressivo) Overtura Fuga Beethoven To do justice to this mighty work, the third of the famous "last five" quartets, would require an enormous programme note. The bare facts are as follows: It was composed in 1825. At its first performance in 1826 the fugal finale was considered incomprehensible or unplayable and it was subsequently withdrawn, a shorter and more easily grasped move- ment being substituted. The fugue was then virtually ignored as a performing piece until fairly recently, when string orchestras began to play it (though why it was considered more accessible to orchestral players than to quartets remains a mystery). At the present time the best quartets can surmount its difficulties, and we are fortunate in having the opportunity to hear Beethoven's original concept in its proper context tonight. It might be noted that the composer's other mighty work in B flat, the Hammer- klavier Sonata, also ends with a complicated and extremely diffi- cult, though not so long, fugue. The overall plan is an expansive one of six movements: a quick first movement, interspersed with slower passages, then a short, mysterious, scherzo-like presto, wild-sounding though quiet, plus its trio section, then a "slow" movement of the scherzando type common in Beethoven, then a Tedesca, or German dance, then a very slow Cavatina, that is, mainly a first violin melody with accompaniment, and the introduction and fugue, which falls into a number of sections, in which the main subject appears in various rhythmic guises. Members are asked to make every effort to avoid coughing during the performance

NEXT CONCERTS: Thursday, January 22nd 1970 NIKITA MAGALOFF Piano Programme will probably include: Variations on a Minuet of Duport, K. 573 Three Sonatas, L.14, L.331, L.361 Sonata, Op. 58 Estampes Six Grandes Etudes de Paganini Friday, February 6th 1970 RUGGIERO RICCI Violin ERNEST LUSH Piano Sonata No. 12 in E major Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80 Partita in D minor for solo violin Sonata in A major, Op. 13 Introduction and Variations on "Nel cor piu non misento" Caprice No. 9, Op. 1, "La Chasse" (solo violin) HAMBURG CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Divertimento in F major, K.138 Trauermusik for Viola and Strings Grosse Fuge Saturday, April 11th 1970 Mozart Scarlatti ALEXANDER OLIVER Tenor ALASDAIR GRAHAM Piano Chopin Debussy Liszt Tuesday, February 24th 1970 The Munich Chamber Orchestra has been unable to confirm their engagement but we have secured the services of the Pergolesi Prokofiev Bach Fauré Paganini Paganini Mozart Hindemith Beethoven In lieu of The Quartetto di Roma there will be a recital by PRO ARTE QUARTET on Friday, March 20th, 1970.