Presents
Leopold Kozeluch
String Quartet No.5 in A Major, Op.33 No.2--New Edition
Kozeluch's Op.33 No.2 String Quartet in A Major is the second of his second set of three which he completed around 1789 and published himself in 1790. Dr Charles Burney, the famous English music scholar and critic had this to say about Kozeluch's string quartets:
"Kozeluch's string quartets are in general excellent, abounding with solidity, good taste, correct harmony; and the imitations of Haydn are less frequent than in any other master of that school."
Leopold Kozeluch (1747-1818 Koželuh in the Czech form) was born in the Bohemian town of Velvary, northwest of Prague. He was baptised Jan Antonín, but changed his name to Leopold to distinguish himself from his cousin, who was Kapellmeister of the famous St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague for almost 3 decades. He studied law in Prague, while continuing his musical studies with his cousin and the famous virtuoso pianist Frantisek Dusek. In 1778, he moved to Vienna, where he briefly studied with Albrechtsberger and then established himself as one of its leading pianists and teachers. After Mozart's death he was appointed Imperial Chamber Conductor and Court Composer. Among his many students were the composer Maria Theresia von Paradis, Archduchess Elisabeth, Empress Maria Theresia's daughter and Marie-Louise, daughter of the Austrian Emperor Franz and Napoleon's second wife. Kozeluch was, as were virtually all of his contemporaries, a prolific composer, leaving more than 400 works in every genre, including 6 string quartets. In 1784 Kozeluch founded his own publishing house, the Musikalisches Magazin to publish his own compositions, including the Op.33 quartets.
String Quartet No.5 in A Major, Op.33 No.2 is only quartet in two movements. It begins Un poco vivace. There is a part of it which momentarily is vaguely reminiscent of the fourth movement to Haydn’s Op.50 No.6, The Frog. Very effective orchestral interlude add interest. The concluding movement starts off with a very good, moody Andante introduction which should be played adagio and not andante to be effective. This leads, attacca, to an excellent Allegro. The thematic material finds its way to all of the voices and the movement is brimming with of clever effects. In the middle, the Andante, makes a dramatic and telling reprise before Kozeluch brings the movement to an exciting finish.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $34.95
