KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 502, 4 February 1949, Page 13

KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

'T'HIS is one of a further series of articles written for "The Listener"

4 by

BESSIE

POLLARD

As with the preceding series, published |

some time ago, the aim is to help the student and the interested listener towards a more complete appreciation of good music, ©

(7) Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op. 15 (Faure) ABRIEL FAURE (1845-1924) is known outside of his native France mainly by his songs, chamber music, incidental music for the theatre, and religious choral works. We tend to forget that he was also important, at the turn of the century, as a teacher of composition, his pupils including Maurice Ravel, Nadia Boulanger, Georges Enesco, and many others. His exquisitely-wrought work has a threefold character, being at once highly personal, typically French, and yet truly super-national. The Quartet in C Minor, Op. 15, scored for piano, violin, viola and ’cello, was written in 1879, appearing after the first songs and early piano pieces. The first movement (allegro molto moderato) ‘begins with a strong rhythmic principal subject ("A" below) given out by the three strings; after a series of enharmonic changes, the second theme emerges, played by the viola ("B" below)-

The customary working-out, and re-statement sections follow. The second movement, a delightful Scherzo and Trio, is scored with expert sureness and clarity; after about six bars of pizzicato strings the piano announces a skipping motif ("A" below). The Trio is irresistible-the piano begins with an introductory phrase ("B" below), and at approximately the ninth bar the strings play a melody of a suave loveliness ("C" below); after the Trio the Scherzo section is then repeated in a slightly curtailed form. 7}

The slow movement (adagio) is one of the most moving of its kind in all French chamber music. Two notable themes are heard in the course of the move-ment-the first ("A" below) announced at the beginning by the ’cello, and the second, at the seventeenth bar, played by the piano ("B" below)-

The brilliant Finale is built on four contrasted themes-here are se first and second ("A" and "B" below),

= And now the third and fourth (A" and "B" below)-they are easily recognised and Fauré’s treatment of them, while always highly ingenious, is never obscure.

Fauré’s Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op, 15, will be heard trom Station sYCc on Tuesday, February 8, at 9.30 p.m.