3.12.99 A Belfast Music Society Celebrity Concerts

PROGRAMME THE BRODSKY QUARTET Michael Thomas Ian Belton Paul Cassidy Jacqueline Thomas THREE PIECES QUARTET Op. 54 No. 2 in C QUARTET Op. 161 in G (D887) Supported by the GO ARTS COUNCIL Saturday 3 December 1994 Elmwood Hall, 7.30 p.m. violin violin viola 'cello CIT STRAVINSKY HAYDN SCHUBERT LF To. COUNCH

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Three pieces for string quartet These miniature pieces for quartet were composed in 1914 and are a fascinating study in sonorities and textures. The opening piece is the most interesting and is an early example of minimalism - each instrument has its own material that repeats throughout: the first violin a melody whose changing metres result in different notes being accented on each appearance, the second violin a four note scale figure, the viola a drone 'D' played bowed and plucked simultaneously, the cello two adjacent notes (i.e. the interval of a second). The movement ends with a prominent sound, and this idea is carried over into the central piece where it is presented as a sliding figure. The third piece, slower and in liturgical mood, has a theme of oscillating contour, again largely made up of intervals of a second. The pieces were later orchestrated as part of the four Studies, when they were titled Danse, Excentrique, Cantique. String Quartet in C, op. 54, no. 2 vivace adagio minuet and trio adagio - presto - adagio Igor Stravinsky 1882-1971 - 1- Joseph Haydn 1732-1809 Johann Tost was the bane of Haydn's life. Employed as leader of the second violins at Esterháza, where Haydn lived out a solitary and often frustrating existence as Kapellmeister, he left for France in 1788, taking with him various manuscripts of music he had commissioned from Haydn, including two symphonies and the six quartets of op. 54 and 55. Although he hadn't paid for these, he sold them to a publisher, along with music by other composers that he passed off as Haydn's work. Tost seems to have been a fascinating rogue - in a later era he might have been a 'Dad's Army' style spiv. He actually planned to set up a profitable copying business at

Esterháza, marketing stolen copies of all the new music that came into the Prince's possession. He even wrote to the music masters of the various courts, advertising this service, ... all at a cheap price.' Tost was subsequently forgiven and continued to commission music from Haydn, Beethoven and other leading composers. Haydn wrote the op. 64 quartets for him, and all three sets were tailored especially for his Ist violin and his love of high-flying florid writing. Although the quartet opens in the brightness of C major, there are very soon shadows passing across the sun and these continue to cloud the music throughout the quartet. The slow movement is a dark brooding lament, Tost's violin playing a series of impassioned outbursts, like some Hungarian gypsy fiddler. A remarkable movement, and another surprise - the minuet follows without a break. It is gentle in tone, but stirs itself before the forceful and passionate trio section. Haydn springs another surprise in the finale. Instead of a popular lightweight rondo, the movement begins slowly and seriously, again with the first violin singing above a simple (but masterly) accompaniment. Suddenly the anticipated fast movement breaks in, but just when the movement seems to be heading for a bright conclusion, it stops in mid stream, and it is the violin's gentle song that brings the fascinating quartet to a pianissimo conclusion String quartet, op. 161 in G, (D887) allegro molto moderato andante un poco moto scherzo (allegro vivace) allegro assai 10 2211 nisula - otes This is the last and perhaps the greatest of Schubert's quartets. It was written in just eleven days in June 1826, and probably tried out at a private concert the following year with Schubert himself playing the viola. At his ju 152 of - 2- Franz Schubert 1797-1828

only benefit concert, at the hall 'Zum Roten Igel', on 26th March 1828, the first movement was performed, to great acclaim, by the famous Schuppanzigh quartet, for whom it was written, but like far too many of Schubert's works, the quartet had to wait until long after his death for complete performance and publication in this case, 1850. The opening is mysterious, with much use of tremolo (fast repeated notes), a texture that we find much in his late quartets, notably the celebrated Quartetsatz, and is a prominent feature of all four movements of this quartet. The first movement is also dominated by jerky rhythmic figures, and there is also a conflict of G major-G minor that persists throughout almost the whole quartet. The generally serious mood of this opening movement continues in the slow movement, whose long flowing theme, presented on the cello, has a rather pathetic ring to it; indeed, the jerky rhythms and troubled tremolos soon return quite dramatically. The flowing theme returns and is treated to various arrangements, finally turning, rather hesitantly, and at the last minute, to the major key. The scherzo inhabits the world of the corresponding movement of the Ninth Symphony. The contrasting trio section is a gentle and delicious ländler, reminding us that Schubert's home was in Vienna. The last movement is a rondo, with a host of good tunes - typically Schubertian melodies - and dominated by a galloping 6/8 metre. The major/minor tensions are still behind the music, though, until the closing pages, when, clear and untroubled, the G major theme sings out in all its glory. Alec Macdonald 1994 TONIGHT'S ARTISTS The Brodsky Quartet is a group who have played together since early childhood, offering a unique combination of youth and experience. They have established themselves as one of the most exciting string quartets on the international scene and enjoy a busy career worldwide of concerts, broadcasts and recordings. - 3-

They were the first quartet ever to be awarded a residency at Cambridge University and are currently the resident ensemble of Middlesex University and the Welsh College of Music and Drama. In 1992 the Brodsky Quartet began a unique musical collaboration with Elvis Costello, resulting in "The Juliet Letters" - a song sequence for voice and string quartet, written and composed by Costello and the Brodsky Quartet. The work has been recorded and released internationally by Warner Brothers, to tremendous critical acclaim. During 1993 the artists made a documentary/performance featuring "The Juliet Letters" which was broadcast as a BBC Arena Special and is available as a Warner Brothers home video. The Brodsky Quartet have an exclusive recording contract with Teldec Classics, and have released the first ever digital recording of the complete Shostakovich string quartets. This outstanding recording was voted "Pick of the Year" by Music Week magazine and has received a number of prizes including the Deutsche Schallplatten prize. Concerts/tours in 1994 are as far apart as New Zealand, Northern Europe and Mexico. Michael Thomas plays a Panormo violin kindly loaned by Freidart, Amsterdam, and Paul Cassidy plays on a viola formerly owned by Frank Bridge and Benjamin Britten, courtesy of the Britten-Pears Foundation. The Brodsky Quartet's wardrobe is by the renowned fashion designer Issey Miyake. The BMS Board of Management much regrets the death of Professor Peter Benham, Board member for three years, and Vice-Chairman of the Society since 1994. The Society will greatly miss his wisdom and enthusiasm, and will remember with gratitude his dedication to the cause of promoting first-class chamber music in Belfast.

NEXT RECITAL Saturday 11 February 1995 Tasmin Little (violin) Martin Roscoe (piano) Elmwood Hall 7.30 p.m.