Presents
Friedrich Ernst Fesca
String Quartet No.13 in d minor, Op.12-New Edition
String Quartet No.13 in d minor, Op.12 was composed around 1818. The Allegro moderato which opens the work is of a high quality with its dark, tuneful melodies. There is a Beethovian feel to it. It is followed by a very fine deeply felt Larghetto. Next comes a Menuetto, dark and thrusting with a fine lilt to it. The finale, an Allegretto, has much the same mood as the preceding movements but with some surprisingly sunny interludes. The Guide to the String Quartet Literature calls this work a first rate quartet deserving concert performance.
Friedrich Ernst Fesca (1789-1826) was born in the German town of Magdeburg. He studied piano and violin with several different teachers, including for a short time Ludwig Spohr. By age 16 had already obtained a position as a violinist in the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Not long after, he was employed as solo violinist to the Court of Jerome Bonaparte, at that time, King of Westphalia. After this he lived for a while in Vienna where he befriended the famous violinist, Ignaz Schuppanzigh, first violinist of the famous Beethoven Razumovsky String Quartet. His final years were spent working in Karlsruhe along with fellow composer Franz Danzi. He composed in nearly every genre from opera to solo piano works, however, the bulk of his out put was chamber music. Carl Maria von Weber, writing of Fesca’s chamber music, had this to say. “Mr. Fesca is completely master of whatever he undertakes to express. I am fully convinced of his remarkable talent. His works are carefully written, thoroughly elaborated and richly flavored." Spohr, upon hearing a performance of one of the Op.1 string quartets called it a fine work full of talent.
Fesca’s tuneful works were popular through out most of the first half of the 19th century, but like so many other good pieces disappeared for no real discernable reason. We are pleased to reintroduce an early quartet which certainly makes an excellent alternative to a work by Haydn, Mozart or early Beethoven.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $34.95
