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| Mozart | Horn Quintet in Eb K407 |
| Reicha | Lento from the Quintet in E op. 106 |
| Schubert | String Quintet in C op. 163 |
For this concert, we are delighted to be joined by Ieuan Davies on the French horn (pictured above right) in the first half, and Christopher Magnus ('cello) in the second for Schubert's last major chamber work.
This will be the third occasion on which the Grainger String Quartet has performed Haydn's op. 51 in the context of a lenten meditation service, just as it was at its first performance in Cádiz in 1787.
| Mozart | Horn Quintet in Eb K407 |
| Reicha | Horn Quintet in E op. 106 |
| Schubert | String Quintet in C op. 163 |
Deservedly a well-loved favourite, the Mozart quintet is scored for horn, violin, two violas and 'cello. There are three movements, of which the last, a memorable Rondo, plays very subtle rhythmic tricks.
Undeservedly little known, the Reicha quintet is a gem. The lovely second movement, Lento, is followed by a fascinating Scherzo in which the accent almost (but not quite) always falls on the second (middle) beat of the bar. The first movement and the effective, rousing finale feature spectacular virtuosity from both horn and first violin.
The Schubert Quintet is arguably the composer's greatest achievement, and one of the most impressive chamber works of all time. All four movements explore the dramatic extremes. The music is propelled from moment to moment by a compelling musical argument that never falters. The ecstatic stillness of the Adagio second movement, once experienced, is never forgotten.
| Mozart | String Quartet in G K457 |
| Beethoven | String Quartet in D op. 18:3 |
| String Quartet in c op. 18:4 |
The Mozart quartet, composed in December 1782 when Mozart was 26, is the first of Mozart's mature quartets, the first of a set of six that were to be published in 1785 with a dedication to Haydn. The first movement is technically complex, with a long development section. The Minuet that follows has curiously abrupt changes in dynamics and disruptive rhythms, while the central Trio, in the minor key, features stark melodic leaps that must have struck its early audiences as shockingly modern. The third, slow movement features strange triplet passages of a decidedly menacing character. The final movement, though posing as a severe, traditional fugue, soon explodes into joyous, exuberant merriment to which the counterpoint provides a sort of foil of half-seriousness while displaying subtler compositional fireworks of dazzling contrapuntal invention.
Although the third in the published order, Beethoven's Op. 18 no. 3 was in fact the first quartet Beethoven ever wrote, in 1798 when he was 28. It is of traditional form and agreeable, sunny disposition, but it is a musical wolf in sheep's clothing, with many features that would have shocked its first audiences — not least, the formidable skill with which it is written. For this quartet, our violinists change places and we are led by Pip James.
By contrast, Op. 18 no. 4 is moody, dramatic and declamatory. We play the first and last movements, of which the second is a rondo.
This was the second of two successful concerts we gave jointly with the Coda Choir. Our contributions were:
| Haydn | String Quartet in D op. 76:5 |
| Bridge | Idyll no. 3 |
| Beethoven | String Quartet in F op. 59:1 |
Buoyed by the success of his two London visits, by 1797 Haydn was at the pinnacle of his career. Perhaps knowing that his remaining time was limited, in this quartet Haydn gives us reason to suppose that he was giving more weight to divine inspiration and less to the successful formulæ that had established him as the father of the string quartet. The first movement is slow, in form something of a cross between theme & variations and sonata form, with a lengthy coda in fast tempo that is almost a second development section. The second movement, Largo cantabile e mesto, is in the remote (and unusual) key of F# (that's six sharps in the key signature!) The finale is also notable in that its thematic material anticipates the scherzo of op. 77:2, while its crazy Hungarian style closely resembles the finale of that quartet.
Frank Bridge was born in Brighton and died in Eastbourne. He started life as a string player; during his studies at the Royal College of Music he developed his skills as conductor and composer. His only composition pupil, Benjamin Britten, was to write a famous set of orchestral variations on the theme of the second of these idylls, which were published in 1906. The tender, romantic spirit of these pieces can perhaps be explained by the fact that their dedicatee, a Miss Ethel Sinclair, was soon to become Mrs Bridge.
The quartet op. 59:1 is early fruit of Beethoven's “middle period”, characterized by a deeper, more uncompromising mode of expression. The first movement seems like one long development section, and perhaps that is why Beethoven made a point of noting that the exposition was not repeated. The second movement, Allegretto vivace e sempre scherzando, caused outrage at its first performance, with opinions varying as to whether it was “crazy music” or indeed not music at all. The slow movement is by turns grief-stricken, defiant and transformed by hope, but always unremittingly serious. The final movement is based on a “thème russe”, at the request of Count Razumovsky, who commissioned the op. 59 quartets from Beethoven.
Tickets £6 to include a glass of wine. Proceeds to CAFOD / Christian Aid.
Another in our series of successful evenings with the CODA Choir.
Lunchtime concert before the Mayor & Deputy Mayor of Valognes
From a short press review:
The Grainger String Quartet a offert un concert exceptionnel de par son talent et sa diversité musicale.
Dimanche en fin d'après-midi, le comité de jumelage Valognes Wimborne a proposé un concert de découverte à un public constitué essentiellement des membres du jumelage. Le quatuor à cordes The Grainger String Quartet a enchanté l'église d'Alleaume. « Ce quatuor est membre du comité, il habite Wimborne et est actuellement en vacances dans la région, » souligne Bernard Tardieu, président du comité de jumelage. « Il nous offre ce concert en toute amitié et donnera une nouvelle prestation au château de Cerisy-la-Salle jeudi 28 mai. »
The château is home to a long-running series of learned multidisciplinary conferences. The photo below shows the Grainger String Quartet giving a short concert in the recently renovated stable building before an audience attended by conference members and members of the public.
We will be playing in the first half of a concert also featuring light music by Jo Dore; tickets £10 include drinks and canapés. All proceeds go to support the Building Project at S. Barnabas Church, Bearwood.
| Gershwin | Summertime |
| Mozart | Exsultate, Jubilate |
| Carmichael | Stardust |
| Fauré | Après un Rève |
| Elgar | Salut d'Amour |
| Dvořák | Humoresque |
| Delibes | Flower Duet |
| Vivaldi | Winter (from 4 Seasons) |
| Beatles | When I'm 64 |
| Rodriguez | La Cumparsita (tango) |
We will be playing a selection of short classical and light pieces in a concert in aid of Holt Church.
This will be the fourth occasion on which the Grainger String Quartet has performed Haydn's op. 51 in the context of a lenten meditation service, just as it was at its first performance in Cádiz in 1787. The Sisters have a really good web site and have produced a great poster (PDF) for the event.
For the second time this year, and the second time at this venue, the Grainger String Quartet will be performing Haydn's op. 51 in the context of a lenten meditation service.
This page, generated 2010-07-29 18:04:56, was last modified 2010-06-23 08:21:11