Presents
Ruperto Chapi
String Quartet No.4 in b minor-New Edition
Ruperto Chapi's massive String Quartet No.4 in b minor dates from 1907. It is his last string quartet and in many ways his magnum opus. Chapi's first two quartets emphasized Spanish dance rhythms and melodies, but in his third quartet, he veered away from this approach and seemed influenced by developments taking place in France. One could hear echoes of Cesar Franck and Claude Debussy in the Third Quartet. No so in this work wherein Chapi returned to his Spanish roots. The first movement, Allegro moderato begins briefly with a soft tremolo-like introduction. The main theme enters immediately, an unmistakable and perhaps well-known Spanish dance rhythm, which recalls the tune to 'Lady of Spain,' composed three decades later. In one shape or another this theme dominates most of the movement but is from time to time is interrupted by slower more lyrical episodes. The second movement, Allegretto, is a playful intermezzo dominated by a triplet figure throughout. The second theme is clearly of Spanish origin. Next comes an Allegretto animato which serves as a kind of whirling scherzo. Full of pulsating drive and Spanish rhythms. The finale, perhaps the piece de resistance, is a very nervous Allegro vivo, which bursts out of the gate with boundless energy. Throughout, agitato episodes alternate with highly contrasting, romantic and much slower Andante sections.
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.
If not a masterpiece, this quartet comes very close. It is a work which should be in the repertoire and the concert hall. Long out of print and unavailable, our editors, Garik Hayrapetyan and Raymond Silvertrust have created a new edition from the score.
| (A) String Quartet No.4-Parts | $34.95 |
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| (B) String Quartet No.4-Parts & Score US Addresses Only | $74.95 |
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| (C) String Quartet No.4-Parts & Score Non US Addresses | $89.95 |
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