String Quartet No. 8 (Simpson)
Encyclopedia
The String Quartet No. 8 by Robert Simpson
was composed in 1979 in response to a commission by the Brunel Philharmonic Society with funds made available from the Greater London Arts Association. The work is dedicated to Professor Gillett, who was the director of Biological Sciences at Brunel University
in 1980, and his wife. The Quartet was first performed on 21 June 1980 by the Delme String Quartet at Brunel University.
The work is composed of four movements:
The quartet opens with an austere melody from the first violin which comprises the main subject of the predominately fugal first movement. In turn, the melody is taken up by all four instruments and then developed by metamorphosis throughout the rest of the movement. This subject also forms an integral part of the rest of the quartet. The interval of a perfect fifth in particular plays a vital role of the concentrated construction of the entire work. The intensity of the fugue
is mitigated at times by more reflective material. As the fugue develops, power and energy is gained until a climax is reached with scurrying motion of the viola and cello. Hereafter the music becomes calmer and the movement ends peacefully.
The second movement is a very short scherzo
, illustrating a mosquito (hence the title of the movement, Eretmapodites gilletti, a species discovered by and named after the work’s dedicatee). This scherzo is in A-B-A form.
The third movement too is muted strings
and consisting entirely of elusive half-shades. It is cast in a very small-scale sonata form
, and the dynamic seldom rises from a soft pp (a musical term meaning "very soft").
The tumultuous and intense finale balances out the extended opening movement. It is the same length as the opening movement, but the texture is not fugal. Pungency rather than speed creates the intensity, and throughout there is a very deliberate quality to the writing which quite unique. Unlike the first movement where the calmer, reserved music prevailed, in the finale the concentrated energy prevails, with scales of all kinds evolving from the texture as the movement closes vigorously.
A typical performance of this work lasts approximately 30 minutes.
release which also includes String Quartet No. 7
, both performed by the Delme Quartet.
Robert Simpson (composer)
Robert Simpson was an English composer and long-serving BBC producer and broadcaster.He is best known for his orchestral and chamber music , and for his writings on the music of Beethoven, Bruckner, Nielsen and Sibelius. He studied composition under Herbert Howells...
was composed in 1979 in response to a commission by the Brunel Philharmonic Society with funds made available from the Greater London Arts Association. The work is dedicated to Professor Gillett, who was the director of Biological Sciences at Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
in 1980, and his wife. The Quartet was first performed on 21 June 1980 by the Delme String Quartet at Brunel University.
The work is composed of four movements:
- Grave, molto intensivo
- Molto vivace (Eretmapodites gilletti)
- Allegretto grazioso
- Risoluto e concentrato
The quartet opens with an austere melody from the first violin which comprises the main subject of the predominately fugal first movement. In turn, the melody is taken up by all four instruments and then developed by metamorphosis throughout the rest of the movement. This subject also forms an integral part of the rest of the quartet. The interval of a perfect fifth in particular plays a vital role of the concentrated construction of the entire work. The intensity of the fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
is mitigated at times by more reflective material. As the fugue develops, power and energy is gained until a climax is reached with scurrying motion of the viola and cello. Hereafter the music becomes calmer and the movement ends peacefully.
The second movement is a very short scherzo
Scherzo
A scherzo is a piece of music, often a movement from a larger piece such as a symphony or a sonata. The scherzo's precise definition has varied over the years, but it often refers to a movement which replaces the minuet as the third movement in a four-movement work, such as a symphony, sonata, or...
, illustrating a mosquito (hence the title of the movement, Eretmapodites gilletti, a species discovered by and named after the work’s dedicatee). This scherzo is in A-B-A form.
The third movement too is muted strings
String instrument
A string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
and consisting entirely of elusive half-shades. It is cast in a very small-scale sonata form
Sonata form
Sonata form is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century . While it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as well—particularly the final movement...
, and the dynamic seldom rises from a soft pp (a musical term meaning "very soft").
The tumultuous and intense finale balances out the extended opening movement. It is the same length as the opening movement, but the texture is not fugal. Pungency rather than speed creates the intensity, and throughout there is a very deliberate quality to the writing which quite unique. Unlike the first movement where the calmer, reserved music prevailed, in the finale the concentrated energy prevails, with scales of all kinds evolving from the texture as the movement closes vigorously.
A typical performance of this work lasts approximately 30 minutes.
Discography
Currently, the only commercially available CD is a Hyperion RecordsHyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
release which also includes String Quartet No. 7
String Quartet No. 7 (Simpson)
The String Quartet No. 7 by Robert Simpson was composed during 1977 and was dedicated to Lady Jeans who requested the work. The Gabrieli String Quartet gave the first performance at a concert in Jeans’ home, Cleveland Lodge, Dorking, during a concert celebrating the centenary of her husband, the...
, both performed by the Delme Quartet.