Presents
Bolko von Hochbert
Piano Quartet in b flat minor, Op.37
Count (Graf) Bolko von Hochberg (1843-1926), his full name was Hans Heinrich IVX Bolko Graf von Hochberg, was born in the family castle in the German province of Silesia. He came from a old German noble family of counts and had a career as a diplomat, composer and music director. He studied composition in Berlin with Friedrich Kiel. He composed in most genres, including two piano trios, three string quartets and a piano quartet. For many years, he maintained his own private professional string quartet. He served as Artistic Director of the Royal Opera Theater in Berlin and at his own expense founded and maintained the Silesian Music Festival.
His Piano Quartet in b flat minor dates from 1908 and was the last piece of chamber music he composed. The powerful opening movement, Allegrio fiero, begins as if it is to be a piano concerto and it is not until the introduction of the lovely second theme that the strings are placed on an equal footing. In the beautiful second movement, Lento e mesto, the piano plays solo for several measures until the cello, in its lowest register, joins in. When the violin and viola enter, the strings take over and the piano hangs in the background. The mood is melancholic but not sad. A valedictory second subject adds to this feeling. An energetic Scherzo, full of forward motion follows. Then comes a nicely contrasting canonic section followed by a chorale-like trio section. The finale, Allegro assai, bursts out of the gate, so to speak, in triumphant fashion. Soon, we hear snippets of echoes from the earlier movements.
Here is another fine work, deserving concert performance which has been, like so many other deserving works, shoved aside by the demands of the box office, which only programs one or two famous works and none other. Audiences will appreciate a fresh work like this if given in concert and it is not beyond amateurs to whom it can also be recommended.
Parts: $34.95
