KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 509, 25 March 1949, Page 12

KNOW YOUR CLASSICS

/ ‘THIS is one of a further series of articles written for "The T.ietener"

4 by

BESSIE

POLLARD

As with tHe. pretsiina series. nublished

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

(12) String Quartet in G Minor, Op. 10 (Debussy) 8 ira mae speaking, Butasiils String Quartet in G Minor (written in 1893, when he was 31 years of age) is cast in a classical mould. Although the composer was not entirely pre-occupied with form or tradition, the music is broad, melodic, and freely flowing. Debussy has adopted a cyclic treatment of his themes -that is, derivatives of the very opening theme are heard right throughout the work, The parent theme ("A" below) from which stems all these thematic "germ" motifs, is heard in the first few bars of the opening movement-animé et’ trés décidé-in the old Phrygian mode (semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone). What we may term the secondary theme of the movement ("B" below) is announced by the first violin almost at the end of the exposition or "statement of material" section-

The working-out section, based mainly on the second theme, is made up of an intricate series of tiny variations dovetailed together in masterly fashion, The second movement-assez vif et bien rythmé-is delicate and graceful; following violin and ’cello pizzicato chords, the viola gives out the main subject, a direct derivative of the original parent theme-

Against the main viola theme the violins provide a piquant pizzicato backe ground-

Later the first violin plays another version of the viola theme in augmenta-tion-that is, the note values are made longer-egainst a vibrating accompaniment from second violin and viola, and a pizzicato ’cello reiterated motif on the notes E flat and B flat-

The third movement is in ternary, or three-part form; the instruments are muted for a considerable portion of the movement, The thoughtful main theme is announced by the first violin-

The subject material of the Finale is derived almost entirely from fragments of themes previously heard. STRING QUARTET IN G MINOR, Op. 10 (DEBUSSY) will be heard at 2.15 p.m..on Monday, April 4, trom Station 4YZ Invercargill.