Presents
George Onslow
String Quartet No.28 in E flat Major, Op.54
George Onslow's 28th string quartet was composed during the summer and fall of 1835. It was dedicated to a Monsieur Gosselin, a string instrument maker then active in Paris. It is thought that Onslow owned one of Gosselin’s cellos which were known for their excellent workmanship and tone. The first movement begins with a downwardly chromatic adagio Introduzione which like some soothsayer seems to give warning of impending doom. But Onslow surprises with a bright and lively Allegro moderato. This is a showy movement with a lot of forward motion. The second movement, Preghiera, Andante con variazione, begins with a lovely folk melody of child-like simplicity. There are five short variations on the theme which explore some aspect of the theme from a different perspective rather than merely providing a virtuosic interlude for this or that instrument. The final variation is particularly clever, featuring the melody by way of trill and ornament. The Scherzo, by its sheer elan, is the focal point for the entire quartet. The first violin introduces the exciting first subject and the whole movement takes off in a kind of perpetuo mobile. The thematic material is mostly split between the first violin and the cello with the middle voices providing a steady rhythmic tension. A rather dramatic trio section in which the lower voices break loose follows. Though brief, it provides a striking contrast to the main section.
The finale, Allegro non troppo, is a cross between the virtuosic first theme and a Biedermeier-esque second theme.---The Chamber Music Journal.
Perhaps no composer, more than George Onslow (1784-1853), illustrates the fickleness of fame. Onslow was born and lived his entire life in France, the son of an English father and French mother. His 36 string quartets and 34 string quintets were, during his own lifetime and up to the end of the 19th century, held in the highest regard, particularly in Germany, Austria and England where he was regularly placed in the front rank of composers. His work was admired by both Beethoven and Schubert. Schumann, perhaps the foremost music critic during the first part of the 19th century, regarded Onslow’s chamber music on a par with that of Mozart. Haydn and Beethoven. Mendelssohn was also of this opinion. Onslow’s writing was unique in that he was successfully able to merge the drama of the opera into the chamber music idiom perfected by the Vienna masters.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $31.95
