Hello Victor et All,
Woow, a second Quartetto Classico! Please don´t hurry Victor, we are struggling to keep up with you !
Yesterday we have played through and studied your first Quartetto Classico "Le Clavecin". And it is really marvellous music!
All four movements are simply beautiful and so well written for the instruments. Indeed it sounds like one big harpsichord if I may say so. But the sound of the mandolin stays what it is and that is the very beauty of this kind of quartet! There is something very special with a Classical Mandolin Quartet; the space between the notes is very special. Something very rarely heard and indeed listening to a Harpsichord (Pianoforte or even a Grand Piano) comes near. but only near... Not completely so. Maybe once... with a Harpsichord made by David Rubio played by Gustav Leonard. That occasion made such in impression on me, it sounded so rich and full of harmony... maybe that (Harpsichord) comes close(st) to the sound of two Mandolins, a Mando(lio)la and a Mandoloncello. luckily I have the record on which Leonard is playing that Rubio Harpsichord. Must hear it again soon...
Anyway Victor´s mandolin quartet "Le Clavecin" proved to be so nice that we kept playing and studying it all the time we had for our rehearsal.
The first Movement ´Allegro scorrevole´ opens with repeating eights notes in the 2nd Mdn and de Mla and an open low third string of the Mc befor the 1st Mdn joins in with a tremolo-ed melody. It is still supported in eights by the other two instruments with a very delicate tremolo note every now and than in the Mla and Mc. Very evocative...
Then melody develops into a triplet one, carrying on like that up to the 36 bar where the 2nd Mdn takes over the melody. This time in a slightly bigger ambitus creating a light feeling of tension. In bar 56 the Mc plays the melody line carried by the 2nd Mdn and Mla while the 1st Mdn is silent. And very #Victor(ian) like, now it´s the turn of the Mla to sing, only being accompanied by the two Mdns. Interestingly the Mc gets back in, causing the musical context to broaden out more.
Now all four instruments work together alternating a very legato scale like melody in triplets with the opening theme that looks in this context more like a stronger tremolo-ed counterpart. At bar 116 the three high pitched instruments repeat eachother and it seems like a same language is found. And it´s here that the first Mdn takes it´s chance bringing the openings melody of the ´Allegro scorevolle´ to a higher level, just before finishing the work with a PP and#´lasia vibrare´ harmonic note on all four instruments.
Well this is for me what sets the tone for this quartet.
The second movement, the ´Andante grazioso " La Couperin" is much more ´dense´ in it´s character and has strong tremolo lines in the 1st Mln and trills in the 2nd. Almost throughout the piece the Mla (in sixteenth notes) and the Mc are taking care preparing a nice ´bed´ for the other two go from.
The third movement is just great for me! For the Mandoloncello is given such a nice continuous line to play. This movement is named ´Basso Bordone´, and that is exactly what it is!
First 4 bars are mine, so to speak, (thanks Victor!) and than the Mla enters with a mezzo forte tremolo-ed melody. In bar 12 the 2n Mdn comes in repeating the beginning of the Mla line an octave higher, and taking it further by way of adding an embellishment on the d note and staccato g notes in eights in the bar that follows. Than the 1st Mdn arrives; playing the first part of the melody - again taking it an octave higher - as previously done by the 2nd Mdn and the Mla. This time however the ´decorating´ of the last bit of the melody consists of three-string arpeggio chords with the melody note being the highest one of the chord. Than, and this is the only place where it is allowed to depart from it´s accompanying role, the Mc is given the oppertunity to take over and sing the melody it´s way. It is accompanied with some quarter notes by the 1st- and a long 8 bar tremolo-ed g note by the 2nd Mdn. The Basso Bordone continues to be heard throughout the movement. This time on the Mla and an octave higher as before. In the last 5 bars the movement comes to it´s conclusion ending with two tremolo-ed i]pp[/i] four notes chords in all four instruments; the last chord one fading away in a gentle ´al niente´.
The fourth movement is a real ´Allegro´ called ´Toccata Scarlattiana´ and very much in style with the feeling of the other movements.
Starting of in sixteenth notes by the 1st Mdn and repeated by the 2nd Mdn already in bar two, this part of the quartet is really a kind of relay race.
The Mla and the Mc do accompany the two rivals, but seem to have their own party also. Very nice are the long non tremolo descending notes in the Mc against quarter notes in sixteens in the Mla. Also at certain spots where the Mc and the Mla are more or less syncopately involved, they are pretty much ´together´ like a giant left hand of the harpsichordist. Having written this, I wonder how the right-hand fingers look near the very end of this movement. Probably completely entangled... Interestingly the 1st- and 2nd Mdn in the last bar, have to play exactly the same rhythm and notes in an octave apart from eachother before the quartet is ended with a G major chord in all instruments.
All in all I think that we are fortunate here to have yet again another great to play and surely wonderful to hear composition by Maestro Kioulaphides.
Thanks once and again Victor!
Greetings from #
Alex.
PS. We strive for to perform it at a music school concert in the first or second week of Juli. Also many greetings and thanks from the other members of The Embergher Quartet.
Photo: The Embergher Quartet.
L-R: Ferdinand, Sebastiaan, Alex & Ruth.
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