THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND SEASON 1973-74 18211 FOURTH RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST LINDSAY STRING QUARTET bns Peter Cropper Ronald Birks Roger Bigley Bernard Gregor-Smith PROGRAMME (violin) (violin) (viola) (cello) wder 1-29 ELMWOOD HALL bovin Queen's University, Belfast MONDAY, 14 JANUARY, 1974 In association with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland 5p PRZ

Quartet in C major (op. 76, no. 3) Allegro Poco Adagio Cantabile Minuetto: Allegro Finale: Presto Written during the years 1797-99, this quartet is nicknamed the 'Emperor' because the slow movement is a set of variations on the Emperor's Hymn. Haydn's consummate skill in the art of string quartet writing is displayed to the utmost in this late masterpiece: it is superbly lyrical, full of richness and sonority-every note is vital to the overall complex structure. The first movement is monothematic, evolving both rhythmically and melodically from the material of the opening bars. The slow movement, a set of variations, is unusual in that the actual tune, passing from one instrument to another, remains without adornment throughout the movement: only the accompaniment changes. The third and fourth movements depict, in their major-minor struggle, Haydn's Romantic nature. The Minuet begins in A minor and the Trio suddenly lifts us into A major. The Finale opens in C minor and remains in that and related keys for nearly three-quarters of the movement, until with much struggle C major finally returns. Quartet No. 2 (op. 17) Haydn (1732-1809) Moderato Scherzo Finale: Lento Bartok (1881-1945) Bartok's second quartet was composed during 1915-17. This was a period in which Bartok was becoming more and more involved in collecting and studying Magyar and Rumanian folksongs and dances, and we find in this work the direct influence of this involvement. INTERVAL The first movement is one of dreamy unrest, not without its moments of unrestrained energy, but gradually sinking back to a wistful calmness. The Scherzo jovial, ebullient, dance-like in character-recalls the famous Allegro Barbaro for piano. The finale is plaintive and rhap- sodic, reminiscent of the earlier Dirges for piano.

Quartet in E flat major (op. 44, no. 3) Allegro vivace Scherzo Adagio non troppo Finale Mendelssohn (1809-1847) The three quartets of op. 44 were composed during 1837-38, nearly ten years after the previous ones, op. 12 and 13. They were actually com- posed in the order 2, 3, 1. This work demonstrates the great richness of sound that Mendelssohn was capable of producing through the medium of the string quartet. The first movement opens with a wonderfully powerful and energetic melody, in complete contrast to the more subdued subsidiary theme, which becomes positively mysterious against a curious accompaniment figure. But vigour and passion reassert themselves in the Recapitulation and even the subsidiary theme grows more and more impassioned. The charming Scherzo is truly Mendelssohnian: few could treat such a delicate fugal subject as effectively with such gaiety. The slow movement is one of supreme calmness, reminiscent perhaps of the corresponding movement of Beethoven's op. 74, and in complete contrast to the fury of the rushing scale passages in the finale-a glorious interplay of dancing melodies, with some extremely virtuosic writing for the first violin in the Coda. EIBHLIS FARRELL

THE ARTISTS The Quartet was first formed at the Royal Academy of Music in London where they studied chamber music with Sidney Griller. At the Royal Academy they won all the prizes for quartet playing, including the Gerard Heller Memorial Prize which was open to all the student quartets in London. As a result of this, they were invited to Budapest to take part in the first Bartok Seminar under Vilmos Tatrai, where they commenced their detailed study of the Bartok Quartets. On leaving the Academy they were awarded a Leverhulme Fellow- ship to become resident Quartet at Keele University for three years, and were loaned valuable instruments by the Gulbenkian Foundation. Dur- ing this period they worked under the guidance of the late Alexandre Moskowsky, formerly of the Hungarian String Quartet. The Quartet's stay was then extended for a further two years, during which time they began to take numerous engagements outside the University. Their performances, radio and television broadcasts both in this country and abroad have received wide acclaim. They were prize winners at the 1969 Liege International Competition, the youngest Quartet competing and the first English quartet ever to win a prize there. In 1972 the Quartet was invited to spend two months in America with the Hungarian String Quartet, and as a result of this there are plans for a tour of the United States in 1974. On their return to England they took up a post as resident Quartet at Sheffield University. In the autumn of 1973 there was a series proposed for the Quartet to broadcast for the BBC six programmes including all the Bartok Quar- tets, the six Quartets op. 18 by Beethoven and Haydn's six Quartets op. 76. In the last year the Quartet gave more than ninety concerts including broadcasting for the BBC seventeen works, nine London appearances and a tour of Scotland. They also went to Germany to play for Stefan Askenase's 75th Birthday concert and gave there the first performance of Andre Tchaikowsky's first String Quartet. They have recently re- turned from a very successful tour of Italy. NEXT CONCERT Thursday, 14th February, 7.30 p.m., Elmwood Hall GERARD SOUZAY (baritone) and DALTON BALDWIN (piano) Songs by Schumann, Schubert, Debussy, Berlioz and Poulenc