Presents
Richard Stöhr
String Quartet No.2 in E flat Major, Op.86-World Premier Edition
Richard Stöhr (1874-1967) was born in Vienna. His father insisted that he study medicine and Stöhr only formally studied music after receiving an M.D. He entered the Vienna Academy of Music and studied composition with Robert Fuchs receiving a doctorate in 1903. He immediately obtained a teaching position at the Academy and was appointed a professor of composition in 1915, a position he held until 1938. Although Stöhr steadily composed throughout these years, he was better known as an expert on music theory, having written a well received text on the subject. In 1939, he was forced to flee Austria because of the Nazi takeover. He emigrated to the United States. There, he obtained a similar position at the Curtiss Institute of Music. Among his many students were Leonard Bernstein, Erich Leinsdorf, Herbert von Karajan, Erich Zeisl, and Samuel Barber.
Stöhr’s Stnng Quartet No.2 in E flat Major was composed in 1942. However, it languished in manuscript form until 2020.Close to 40 years separate it from his first quartet wntten in 1903 in Vienna. It was composed in Colchester Vermont, three years after he was forced to flee his native Austria. It might be said that the composer in this work reconnected with his Austro-Hunganan past, wnting a work in the late Romantic idiom. The lilting, le1surely main theme to the opening movement, Allegro moderato, is brought forth by the cello alone after wh1ch the others join in. The second subject is martial in mood. This in tum is followed by a somewhat sad melody. The second movement, Scherzo,presto, is the kind of Mendelssohnian scherzo Felix might have wntten had he been alive around 1900. The meter constantly changes between 6/8 and 9/8 and then in the trio section, which appears without warning. between 2/4 and 3/4. The third movement, Adagio mesto, as suggested by the title, has a rather depressed mood. Recurring sextuplets play an important role. The big finale, Allegro giusto, opens with a flourish. What follows is a series of appealing rustic folk dances.
This fine work belongs in the concert hall and can also be warmly recommended to amateur players.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $39.95
