I. Allegro un poco moderato
II. Adagio. Sotto Voce
III. Allegretto
We're not quite sure when Beecke composed his String Quartet in B flat major but it was somewhere towards the end of the 18th century (some think around 1770 whilst others date it at a decade later). Whatever, if you've read my previous blog post on his string quartet in C malot you'll know that he was an immensely talented pianist and composer. His works for the medium are not easy to discuss but they are full of highly melodic content and he certainly knew how to add colour to his works. What is interesting is that, for the time, he was a unique voice and was one of the first (if not the first) to treat the 4 instruments of the quartet more equally (the first violin still does most of the heavy lifting) but there's less reliance on the violin as the lead.
The 3-movement quartet, here, is yet more proof of his unique style.
The initial Allegro un poco moderato movement has a fine gentle theme and on the outside the music seems cheerful and happy but there's also an undercurrent of anxiety and a little disquiet. The music is developed beautifully and there's ample expression from all instruments throughout. One thing that strikes you is Beecke's use of dynamics so this doesn't turn into 'old ladies at afternoon tea' background music. Basically disguised in this pretty melodic music is a lot of depth. It ends with a firm restatement of the opening theme and a gentle ending.
The 2nd movement is an adagio in 3/4 time full of expression and in a singing, cantabile style that reminds me more of Cherubini's more operatic style than Haydn or Mozart. Yet again, the composer uses sotto voce effectively, reducing the mood to a hushed, subdued tone, when required. Because of this there's a real sense of intimacy in this movement, as if the quartet are sharing a secret with you. A very enjoyable and melodic movement which again ends gently.
The finale is an Allegretto that dances delightfully. This is probably the most regular of the movements here and provides a simple ending to this nice quartet.
Again, what impresses about Beecke was his different soundworld from other composers of the time. He certainly knew how to spin a melody but his use of inner voices was rather revolutionary for the age and there's always a charming, natural flow to the music. Agreed, it's not for everyone and some will just hear it as quite trite but I'm an admirer of Beecke. He had something going on that was a little quirkier than his contemporaries. His music, also, has an air and grace that's very attractive (which apparently was akin to his piano playing).
The sole recording of this work comes courtesy of the Arioso Quartet, on CPO. The recorded sound is a little bright but decent enough. They're a competent ensemble and play with style and at good tempi. They clearly enjoy the music, know it well and conjure up some good textures however I'm actually left wanting a little more dynamism than they provide. It's a solid release, though, so don't let my small quibbles put you off. This is fine music that should be heard. Anyway, take a listen.
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II. Adagio. Sotto Voce
III. Allegretto
We're not quite sure when Beecke composed his String Quartet in B flat major but it was somewhere towards the end of the 18th century (some think around 1770 whilst others date it at a decade later). Whatever, if you've read my previous blog post on his string quartet in C malot you'll know that he was an immensely talented pianist and composer. His works for the medium are not easy to discuss but they are full of highly melodic content and he certainly knew how to add colour to his works. What is interesting is that, for the time, he was a unique voice and was one of the first (if not the first) to treat the 4 instruments of the quartet more equally (the first violin still does most of the heavy lifting) but there's less reliance on the violin as the lead.
The 3-movement quartet, here, is yet more proof of his unique style.
The initial Allegro un poco moderato movement has a fine gentle theme and on the outside the music seems cheerful and happy but there's also an undercurrent of anxiety and a little disquiet. The music is developed beautifully and there's ample expression from all instruments throughout. One thing that strikes you is Beecke's use of dynamics so this doesn't turn into 'old ladies at afternoon tea' background music. Basically disguised in this pretty melodic music is a lot of depth. It ends with a firm restatement of the opening theme and a gentle ending.
The 2nd movement is an adagio in 3/4 time full of expression and in a singing, cantabile style that reminds me more of Cherubini's more operatic style than Haydn or Mozart. Yet again, the composer uses sotto voce effectively, reducing the mood to a hushed, subdued tone, when required. Because of this there's a real sense of intimacy in this movement, as if the quartet are sharing a secret with you. A very enjoyable and melodic movement which again ends gently.
The finale is an Allegretto that dances delightfully. This is probably the most regular of the movements here and provides a simple ending to this nice quartet.
Again, what impresses about Beecke was his different soundworld from other composers of the time. He certainly knew how to spin a melody but his use of inner voices was rather revolutionary for the age and there's always a charming, natural flow to the music. Agreed, it's not for everyone and some will just hear it as quite trite but I'm an admirer of Beecke. He had something going on that was a little quirkier than his contemporaries. His music, also, has an air and grace that's very attractive (which apparently was akin to his piano playing).
The sole recording of this work comes courtesy of the Arioso Quartet, on CPO. The recorded sound is a little bright but decent enough. They're a competent ensemble and play with style and at good tempi. They clearly enjoy the music, know it well and conjure up some good textures however I'm actually left wanting a little more dynamism than they provide. It's a solid release, though, so don't let my small quibbles put you off. This is fine music that should be heard. Anyway, take a listen.
Merl's Blogged String Quartet and String Quintet...
As some of you are aware I started blogging my recommended string quartet recordings a while back as I didn't want to lose them in the Weekly String Quartet thread. However, blogging on TC has many limitations and there was no way to link all my posts in one place without the page disappearing...
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