Presents
Friedrich Ernst Fesca
String Quartet No.15 in D Major, Op.34--New Edition
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." Fesca was widely hailed as a worthy successor to Haydn and Mozart and his quartets were frequently performed on a regular basis up until the middle of the 19th century when they began to disappear.
String Quartet No.15 in D Major dates from 1824. It begins with a bright, genial Haydnesque Allegro. The lyrical Andante which comes next approaches a folk lullaby. This is followed by a busy upbeat Scherzo vivace. There is an appealing march-like section which interrupts things. The lively finale, Allegro, begins with interesting use of dynamics and double stops in the the lower voices giving the music a rustic peasants' dance feel.This is a good work which can be recommended for concert performance as well as to amateur players.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $34.95
