Presents
Dmitri Kabalevsky
String Quartet No.2 in g minor, Op.44
Kabalevsky's String Quartet No.2 in g minor was composed during the final years of World War II and completed in 1945. It was premiered the following year and won the USSR State Prize. It is in five movements although the fourth and fifth movements are played attacca, that is without pause. The big opening movement, Allegro, begins with a series of chords alternating between the minor and major. One can hear the influence of the war years in the power and sweep of the hard driving main subject, clearly Russian in origin. Although there are lyrical interludes, the impelling ferocity of the music, ultimately overwhelms the lovely song like sections. The second movement, Andante non troppo, begins with the cello singing a somewhat melancholy melody accompanied by soft pizzicato in the other voices. As the other voices join in, there is a darker, even more serious mood. Next comes a Scherzando leggiero, in which the strings are muted for much of the time. It is an awkward, ghostly dance. The fourth movement is a somber, almost funereal Adagio which leads without pause to the finale, simply marked L'stesso tempo. which then morphs into a Vivace giocoso, a wild, hair raising and thrilling mischevious gallop.
Dmitri Kabalevsky (1904-87) was born in St. Petersburg, the son of a mathematician. He was intended for a similar career, but instead and against his parents wishes, chose to enter the Moscow Conservatory where he studied piano and composition with Georgi Catoire and Nikolai Myaskovsky. A product entirely of the Soviet era, he embraced the so-called school of Soviet realism and is considered one of the most important representative composers of this period. He wrote in virtually every genre and his work for children in particular were considered of great importance. His best known work is his suite for small orchestra although his violin and cello concertos have enjoyed considerable popularity.
This quartet is as fine as any dating from this period by a Soviet composer, and need fear comparison with any of those by Shostakovich, Myaskovsky or Prokofiev. It belongs in the concert hall and can also be managed by very experienced and talented amateurs. Unfortunately, the quartet has been virtually unavailable for more than half a century. We located a copy of the score in the Moscow Conservatory Library and have made an entirely new edition from the score. We are proud to bring this work back and warmly recommend it.
Parts: $39.95
Parts & Score: $79.95
