Presents
Ruperto Chapi
String Quartet No.2 in F Major-New Edition
Ruperto Chapi (1851-1909) was born in the Valencian town of Villena. After studying locally, he entered the Madrid Conservatory subsequently winning a scholarship to study in Paris. Along with Tomas Breton, Chapi is the best known composer of Zarzuela, Spanish light opera. In 1903 Chapi started composing his four string quartets. This was no accident. Throughout the 19th century, few Spanish composers devoted themselves to chamber music, largely due to the fact that there were no local chamber music ensembles. This changed with the formation of the Cuarteto Frances in 1901 in Madrid. This group actively encouraged and comissioned Spanish composers to write quartets. Soon there were works by Breton, Turina, del Campo and Chapi.
Chapi's String Quartet No.2 in F Major dates from 1904 and was dedicated to the famous Bohemian Quartet. The opening Allegro moderato features a snaky Spanish dance which morphs into an almost wild conga. The second movement, Allegretto, is a kind of Spanish barcarole. Next comes an Allegro vivace which serves as scherzo. It is mostly dominated by quirky pizzicato passages. The finale, Quasi presto, begins in orchestral fashion but then branches off into small streams of contrasting melodic material.
Highly original and Spanish sounding, there is nothing really like it. It is a work which should be equally at home on the concert state as well as the stands experienced amateurs. Long out of print and unavailable, our editors, Garik Hayrapetyan and Raymond Silvertrust have created a new edition from the score.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $39.95
