Music Chamber

Quartettsatz in C minor, D703 - Franz Schubert (1797-1828)  Allegro assai

 

As the title implies, this is a single movement work and was written as the first movement of Schubert’s twelfth string quartet which was never completed.  It was written in 1820, a turbulent year for the composer, which saw a number of compositions started then left incomplete.  Schubert wrote no further quartets for four years until composition of the Rosamunde Quartet and later the quartet which became known as “Death and the Maiden”.  The Quartettsatz movement received its première in 1867 and has since proved to be a popular work with performers and audiences alike. © Christine Talbot-Cooper 2011 

 

“Notturno” from String Quartet no 2 in D - Alexander Borodin (1833-1887)

 

Although an enthusiastic musician and composer, who had weekly meetings with other like-minded Russian composers including Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazounov, Balakirev and Arensky,  Borodin was by profession a professor of chemistry and his composition had to be fitted in round a very busy medical career. He wrote three string quartets, of which the second, dedicated to his wife and written between 1881 and 1885 and published in 1888 after his death, remains the most popular. The Notturno is the third movement of this quartet. The Notturno has frequently been taken out of context, including its use as a song from “Kismet” and so listeners will be very familiar with its rich melodies and equally rich harmonies. It is of interest to hear the different accompaniments used by Borodin at the various appearances of this theme. © Christine Talbot-Cooper 2011

 

String Quartet No 2 in A Minor, Op 13 - Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Adagio – Allegro Vivace ~ Adagio non lento ~ Intermezzo – Allegretto con moto - Allegro di molto ~ Presto - Adagio non lento

 

Born into a prosperous German family, Mendelssohn received a private education, excelling in everything he undertook, including music.  So it was that at the age of 16 he wrote his String Octet and the following year the Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His second string quartet was written a year later in 1827, although it was not published until 1830, one year after the publication of the Op 12 which is known as his first string quartet. Mendelssohn had been fascinated by the late Beethoven quartets which had been published a few years earlier and there are many tributes to Beethoven to be found in this work. Also notable is the use of a motto theme, taken from a song Mendelssohn had written a few months earlier and mentioned on the title page ("Ist es wahr?" – Is it true?) and also the unusual feature of the work beginning and ending in the major key rather than the home key of A minor. The opening adagio in the major key is followed by a stormy sonata form first movement in the minor key. The second movement begins in a similar mood to the opening of the work, and includes a fugal middle section which becomes more agitated until a violin cadenza restores a calmer mood. In the third movement we meet a theme reminiscent of a folk song and with a pizzicato accompaniment. This alternates with a second theme which is typical of the fleeting scherzos so characteristic of the composer. Throughout the work, the key of A minor has played a large part and the final movement begins in this key, before ending as it began in A major.  There are references to the slow movement and to the opening adagio and the work ends calmly. © Christine Talbot-Cooper 2011

 

 

The Manasseh Quartet comprises Lyrit Milgram, Hannah Tarley, Joshua Hayward and Anton Crayton - all students at the Royal College of Music. Formed in 2010, the Quartet has since enjoyed widely acknowledged success, recently performing Shostakovich's Eight Quartet at the RCM's ‘Behind the Iron Curtain’ series, a recital at St. Stephen’s Church and a performance of Schubert's Quartettsatz in Cadogan Hall. The Quartet has recently been chosen to participate in an intense chamber music course with visiting professor of the RCM, David Dolan. They receive frequent coaching by prominent musicians including Simon Rowland-Jones, Mark Messenger and Levon Chilingirian. As well as their chamber work, all four members of the Quartet are pursuing active solo careers. The Manasseh Quartet looks forward to many future performances, including appearances later this year at St. Mary Abbott's Church in Gloucester Road.