Presents
Ferdinand Ries
String Quartet No.7 (No.18) in a minor, Op.150 No.1
"Ferdinand Ries' String Quartet No.7 in a minor, Op.150 No.1 was composed around 1826. Today, if he is remembered at all, it is as a student and biographer of Beethoven. But Ries' chamber music deserves public performance as this work and several of his others clearly attest. Certainly this quartet should appeal to both amateurs and professionals. The opening movement is quite interesting by virtue of its several tempo changes. The main sections are turbulent Allegros, but these are continually interrupted by calmer and more lyrical Andantino sections. The affect creates tension and excitement. The second movement is a beautiful, singing Adagio con moto cantabile. The Scherzo, allegro, which follows is certainly one of the most original in the literature. Its syncopated unisonal main section is quite extraordinary. The exciting finale, Allegro, makes a fitting conclusion to this fine work.”—–The Chamber Music Journal.
Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) during his lifetime and for much of the 19 century was remembered as a fine composer and virtuoso pianist. He showed musical promise from an early age, studying both violin and piano with his father, and the cello with Bernhard Romberg. In 1801, he went to Vienna to study piano and composition with Beethoven and stayed with him for nearly 5 years. Thereafter, Ries concertized throughout Europe for a number of years before settling in London and then finally retiring in Frankfurt. He wrote a considerable amount of music including several piano concertos and a large quantity of chamber music which was many years often performed and well thought of. Ries composed string quartets throughout his entire life, at least 26. He wrote many more string quartets than he did piano sonatas, piano trios, piano quartets or other works with piano, surprising for a virtuoso pianist and one is forced to conclude that he felt the string quartet to be a far more important medium than those with piano or at the very least he harbored real ambition to make an important contribution to the genre as had his teacher Beethoven. And like Beethoven, he took his time, trying other chamber music genres before turning to the string quartet.
Of the 26 quartet we know of, only 11 were published during his lifetime, the manuscripts of the rest lay unpublished until recently. He had composed some 11 quartets prior to submitting one for publication. Op.150 No.1 was his seventh published quartet and the first of a set of three from 1826 dedicated to the Prussian general Job von Witzleben. But it was actually his 18th string quartet. We have reprinted the original 1829 Simrock publication in Bonn.
Parts: $24.95
