Programme Notes

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Piano Trio in E, Hob. XV:28 (1797)

Allegro moderato
Allegretto
Finale. Allegro

It is easy to undervalue Haydn’s Piano Trios. The string parts often double the keyboard and generally lack the independence found later, say in Beethoven. But for much of his piano trio output, Haydn’s hands were tied by the underpowered keyboards that he was writing for – doubling of the weak keyboard bass line was a necessity. Viewed on their own terms as ‘keyboard sonatas with string accompaniment’, we can enjoy their virtues rather than wishing they were Beethoven. Continue reading 24th March 2019 – Aquinas Trio – Programme notes by Chris Darwin

Josef Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet Op. 20 No. 2 in C (1772)

Moderato
Capriccio: Adagio
Menuet: Allegretto
Fuga a quattro soggetti: Allegro

Writing in four parts had been recognised both in theory and practice as the bedrock of string music long before the 1750s when Haydn started to compose string quartets. But four-part string music then had a variety of forms, none of which we would recognise as a ‘string quartet’ and was predominantly based on a basso continuo cello with optional keyboard, or was a light keyboard-less divertimento. The 18-year-old Haydn got into writing for a quartet of strings thanks to one Baron Fürnberg, who asked him to write something to be played at his place at Weinzierl in the Wachau valley. The four musicians were the local pastor, his estate manager, Haydn and the cellist brother of the Johann Albrechtsberger who later taught Beethoven composition. The resulting Op 1 & 2 quartets were still, both in name and form, divertimenti. Continue reading 24th February 2019 – Castalian Quartet – Programme notes by Chris Darwin

Josef Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet in Bb Op 33 no 4 (1781)

Allegro moderato
Scherzo: Allegretto
Largo
Finale: Presto

Famous string quartets have a problem in daring to perform Continue reading 27th January 2019 – Doric String Quartet – Programme notes by Chris Darwin

Bach’s  Suites for Unaccompanied Cello

There are few works of classical music that inspire the awe that cellists feel for the Bach Suites. They start to play them within a year or two of taking up the instrument and, if hands and minds hold out, they are still working on the same pieces 60 years later.

We know very little of the background to the Suites. They were written in about 1720 when Bach was Continue reading 9th December 2018 – Philip Higham – Programme notes by Andrew Polmear and Chris Darwin

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Märchenerzählungen Op 132. (‘Fairy-tale tellings’) for clarinet, viola & piano (1853)

Lebhaft, nicht zu schnell
Lebhaft und sehr markirt
Ruhiges Tempo, mit zartem Ausdruck
Lebhaft, sehr markirt

In September 1853, the 20-year old Johannes Brahms arrived unannounced at Robert and Clara Schumann’s house bearing an introduction from their mutual friend the violinist Joseph Joachim. Robert Schumann’s mental health was deteriorating, but Brahms’ arrival stimulated Schumann to new compositions: a happy collaboration between Schumann, Brahms and Schumann’s close friend Albert Dietrich produced the triple-authored F-A-E violin sonata dedicated to Joachim, and then in three days from 9 – 11 October 1853 Schumann wrote Märchenerzählungen which he dedicated to Dietrich. ‘Predominantly cheerful pieces, written with a light heart’ he told his publisher. The tautological title ‘Fairy-tale tellings’ stands in contrast to his Märchenbilder (‘Fairy-tale pictures’) for viola and piano written four years earlier. Continue reading 18th November 2018 – Jacquin Trio – Programme notes by Chris Darwin

All three of today’s works have a special relationship with semitones.  For example, the Haydn opens with one that metamorphoses into its main theme;  the Janáček opens with a harsh F#-G clash which sets the tone of this emotionally-charged piece; the Beethoven, famously, is built around the opening two embedded pairs of semitones.  You can probably spot more examples.

Josef Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet Op. 74 No.1 in C (1793)
Allegro
Andantino grazioso
Menuet & Trio
Finale: Vivace

Haydn’s six ‘Apponyi’ quartets (Op 71 and 74) were written in 1792 & 1793 between his two extended visits to London. Prince Nicholas Esterházy, Haydn’s patron to whom he was devoted, had Continue reading 21st October 2018 – Marmen Quartet – Programme notes by Chris Darwin