Quartet, Op. 52, G Maj, 4 Fls

Italian Quartets, Salzburg Divertimenti. Par MOZART WOLFGANG AMADEUS. / Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

Hoffmeister Quartet and Prussian Quartets . Par MOZART WOLFGANG AMADEUS. Ça y est: dans les années à venir, tous les 26 quatuors à cordes de Mozart paraîtront en Urtext chez Henle – en partition et en parties séparées. Toutes les éditions publiées à ce jour laissent considérablement à désirer à bien des égards – par exemple quant au placement correct des signes de dynamique. L' édition Henle, qui a bénéficié du concours artistique du Quatuor Armida, puise dans les acquis les plus récents de la philologie et de l’interprétation mozartiennes. La collection est inaugurée par la publication des quatre derniers quatuors: le quatuor dit «Hoffmeister» K. 499 ainsi que les trois quatuors «Prussiens» K. 575, 589 et 590. La composition des troisdernières oeuvres pourrait avoir été inspirée par l’excellent violoncelliste qu’était le roi de Prusse Frédéric Guillaume II – les violoncellistes d’aujourd’hui pourront en tous cas prendre plaisir à de nombreuses et belles cantilènes. / Seiffert, Wolf-Dieter / Répertoire / 2 Violons, Alto, Violoncelle

Though conceived as four separate movements my second string quartet has a single motif which is common to them all. This is the three-note 'Muss es sein?' from Beethoven's last quartet Op. 135. But whereas Beethoven's theme is notated G E A flat thus giving it an F minor connotation I have sued an alternative spelling - G E G sharp - which suggests an ambiguous E minor-major. This ambiguity in fact becomes the tonal basis of the whole work only to be resolved at the end of the final movement.Each movement begins with a variant of the basic motif on the cello. The first has the original form of the theme while the second has a 'majorised' version which is alsoexpressed as a chord. The third movement with its 'scherzoid' middle section reverts to the major-minor ambiguity of the first and the finale begins with the 'majorised' version as an ostinato accompaniment on pizzicato cello.The slow movement is sub-titled 'In memoriam DSCH' and concludes with a quotation of Shostakovich's motto - D E flat C B - which is basically the same as Beethoven's with the addition of one note.This is not to imply that the work contains no other thematic material. One important theme a rising fifth and a second is also common to three of the movements and is ultimately derived from my first quartet Op. 1 of 27 years earlier to which this second contribution to the form is in many ways like a sequel. Like the earlier work too this quartet is dedicated to my wife.

This work was commissioned by the Naxos Recording Company and is the eighth in a series of ten quartets. It was first performed on 10th March 2006 by the Maggini Quartet at St. Gregory’s Centre Canterbury Christ ChurchUniversity Canterbury as part of the Sounds New Festival.Naxos Quartet No. 8 is dedicated to Her Majesty the Queen on her 80th birthday.