Presents
Otto Barblan
String Quartet in D Major
Otto Barblan (1860-1943) was born in the tiny Swiss village of Oberengadine. He first studied organ with his father a church organist and then piano and composition at the Stuttgart Conservatory with teachers who were under the influence of Wagner. He worked mostly as an organist in Geneva and also a professor at the Geneva Conservatory. His compositions were mostly for organ, however, he did write a piano trio and a string quartet.
His String Quartet in D Major, Op.19 dates from 1911 but was not published until 1922. It is dedicated to a prominent minister Adolphe des Gouttes in Geneva. The quartet an is unlikely combination of elements of Brahms, Bruckner and Wagner with with Swiss patriotic and religious folk music. The opening beautiful Allegro ma non troppo bears the inscription to the players in Italian con serenita e con gioja—with serenity and joy, and this is truly a lovely movement. The second movement, Andante, is a theme and set of ten variations. Barblan lets the players know that the theme is a Gesang des Totenvolkes aus dem Festspiel zur Calvenfeuer. Song of the dead taken from the festival celebrating the victory of the Swiss Confederation over the Habsburgs in the Swabian War of 1499. It is essentially a song celebrating Swiss independence. The words to the opening verse to the song are written below the first violin part, translated as At the roads edge was a body lying awake in the field. We will bring you home you tired freedom fighter. Barblan originally set it for choir and orchestra. As might be expected the melody, though in its way grim, is nonetheless stirring and the variations which follow are interesting. The third movement, Intermezzo, allegretto giojoso, begins with a two bar Andante introduction in d minor, but the Allegretto which comprises the rest of the movement is in D Major, essentially a serenade for the first violin. The finale is an energetic march-like Allegro vivace.
Long out of print, we have reprinted the original correcting a few mistakes. This is a good quartet which deserves concert performance and can be recommended to amateurs.
Parts $24.95
