CAETANI THE TWO STRING QUARTETS

Alauda Quartet Roffredo Caetani 1871-1961 When Roffredo Caetani (1871 – 1961) was born, the newly unified Republic of Quartetto Op.12 in F minor Italy had been in the process 1. Allegro Moderato 10’46 of reclaiming its place in 2. Molto lento 9’16 the world of instrumental 3. Presto 8’46 music for quite some time. A handful of musicians Quartetto Op.1 No.1 in D had already done much to 4. Tempo di quartetto: Allegro - Un poco Moderato – Agitato – promote the Patria’s national Tempo I – Moderato come la prima volta – Allegro agitato 32’28 musical identity; by working as producers and performers within Italy’s well-established opera scene, they had not Alauda Quartet only attempted to popularize Cristina Prats Costa violin I the Alpine Symphonies but Milan Berginc violin II had also dedicated themselves Rhoslyn Lawton viola to bolstering the repertoire Elena Cappelletti cello with musical compositions inspired by German Classical- Romantic tradition. When Caetani first began composing, Rome – like many other Italian cities – had also Total time: 61’21 attempted to bring back the Recording: August 2016, St. Andreas Church, Hannover, Germany values found in traditional instrumentation. The musical panorama that unfurled Producer & editor: Oliver Rogallavon Heyden before the young composer’s eyes introduced him to important contacts as well as a Cover: Photo taken in Semoneta, where Caetani lived. Back cover: Ninfa Gardens, by Caetani’s daughter Lelia Caetani. Provided by the Caetani Foundation thriving chamber music and symphonic concert culture. Hungarian artist Franz Liszt p & © 2016 Brilliant Classics – Roffredo’s godfather and a close friend of the Caetani family – was an energizing presence in the capital’s musical community who had been breathing new life into symphonies and chamber pieces that would comprise his catalog, Caetani published instrumental music since the 1860s. It was Liszt who discovered his godson’s musical his second Quartet for Two Violins, Viola, and Violoncello in F Minor, Op.12 in talents and entrusted him to his most famous student in Italy, Giovanni Sgambati. 1907. In the long lull between his two compositions for string orchestras, Roffredo Sgambati was a pianist, composer, conductor, and teacher, as well as the founder – who had been living in Germany and Austria for some months – moved to Paris, of The Quintet Society and one of the original founders of the future Santa Cecilia where he was a great favourite of the charismatic Countess Greffulhe, president Conservatory. Sgambati was considered to be the artist who, more than any of his of the “Societe des Grandes Auditions Musicales de France”. Under the aegis of peers, had improved Rome’s musical image – even earning the respect of Queen this noblewoman - to whom some of Roffredo’s compositions were dedicated – the Margaret herself. Quartet took its final shape and was subsequently included in the programs of Following in the footsteps of his teacher, Roffredo began his career as a composer, prestigious international ensembles. choosing the most difficult path of all: chamber music. He made his debut, aged Having abandoned structure in one single movement of the playful Quartet for just seventeen, in 1888, performing the Quartet for Two Violins, Viola, and Cello Strings – with which he might have intended to pay homage to Franz Liszt – Caetani in D Major, at Dante Hall in Rome with The Quintet Society. Perusing Roffredo’s engineered a musical form comprised of various movements written in different correspondence and reviews of his compositions (preserved along with the artist’s tonalities, separated by demarcation lines. The Hungarian scale - used many times by works in the Archives of the Camillo Caetani Foundation in Rome), one may infer Liszt – is largely responsible for altering the musical scheme traditionally codified into that the first public performance of a young composer – scion of one of the most this musical genre; a scale that, present in all three movements, gives the Quartet a distinguished, noble Italian families – did not go unnoticed. The positive reviews sense of unity. and critiques attributed to Tempo di Quartetto – as Quartet Op.1 was called at the © Mariantonietta Caroprese time of its first performance - were sincere. The young aristocrat’s “first fruits” were Translation: Eva Sandoval composed “with the skill, breadth of ideas and momentum” of a seasoned artist,” embracing the Quartet form in a new and original way. Without a doubt, Roffredo – like many musicians of his time – modeled his composition after Beethoven’s first quartets, in particular the first movement ofQuartet Op.59 No.1; an influence that has been justifiably noted in the “Un Poco Moderato” movement. However, the young composer conceived the piece to span a large amount of time - during which different movements follow one another seamlessly – and, as in a Rondò, - he alternated two episodes that were musically different. The second of said episodes, characterized by a distinctive theme and imitative writing, segues from the final refrain to a short finale, almost certainly influenced by the coda of Sgambati’sQuartet Op.17. After a period of roughly 20 years and after having composed almost all of the Quando nacque Roffredo Caetani ( 1871-1961) l’Italia, pervenuta a unità nazionale, Quartetto – come fu intitolato il Quartetto Op.1 alla prima esecuzione - furono aveva già da qualche anno iniziato a riacquisire una propria coscienza strumentale. sinceri. La «primizia» del giovane aristocratico, composta «con sicurezza, larghezza di Ne erano stati promotori alcuni musicisti i quali, in un contesto operistico ancora ben idee e slancio» degni di un artista navigato, si era accostata alla forma quartettistica radicato, non solo avevano cercato di far conoscere, come interpreti e organizzatori, in modo nuovo e originale. Senza dubbio anche Roffredo, non diversamente da le composizioni sinfonico-cameristiche d’oltralpe, ma si erano impegnati ad altri musicisti della sua età, ebbe come modello di riferimento i primi quartetti incrementare il repertorio con lavori composti nello spirito della tradizione classico- beethoveniani e in particolare il primo movimento del Quartetto Op.59 No.1, romantica tedesca. riconoscibile, come è stato giustamente osservato, nel movimento Un poco Moderato. Agli esordi dell’attività musicale di Caetani, anche Roma, come tante altre Tuttavia l’artista concepì la sua composizione in un unico tempo di proporzioni città italiane, aveva tentato un recupero dei valori della tradizione strumentale. molto ampie – all’interno del quale diversi movimenti si succedono senza soluzione Il panorama musicale che si apriva agli occhi del giovane compositore offriva di continuità – e alternò, a mo’ di Rondò, due periodi musicalmente differenti. Il importanti figure di riferimento e una regolare attività di concerti cameristici e secondo di essi, caratterizzato da un tema ben profilato e dalla scrittura imitativa, sinfonici. Ad animare la vita musicale della capitale e a dare nuovo impulso alla nell’ultima ripresa conduce a una stretta finale per la quale Sgambati, con la coda del musica strumentale a partire dagli anni Sessanta dell’Ottocento era stato Franz Liszt, suo Quartetto Op.17, deve avergli fornito un esempio significativo. padrino di battesimo di Roffredo e grande amico della famiglia Caetani. Fu l’artista A distanza di circa venti anni e dopo aver composto quasi tutte le opere sinfoniche e magiaro a scoprire le doti musicali del suo figlioccio e ad affidarlo al suo più illustre cameristiche del suo catalogo, Caetani dette alle stampe nel 1907 il secondo Quartetto allievo in Italia, Giovanni Sgambati. Pianista, compositore, direttore d’orchestra, per due violini, viola e violoncello in fa minore Op.12. Nel lungo periodo compreso fra didatta, nonché fondatore della «Società del Quintetto» e del nucleo originario le due composizioni per archi, Roffredo, che era vissuto qualche mese in Germania e del futuro Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Sgambati era agli occhi di tutti l’artista in Austria, si era poi trasferito a Parigi ammirato dalla carismatica contessa Greffulhe, che più di altri si era adoperato per l’affermazione della buona musica a Roma presidente della «Société des Grandes Auditions Musicales de France». Sotto la guadagnandosi la stima e la considerazione anche della Regina Margherita. protezione della nobildonna, alla quale l’opera è dedicata, il Quartetto prese veste Sulla scia del suo maestro, Roffredo inizia la carriera di compositore scegliendo la definitiva e fu inserito nei programmi di prestigiosiensembles internazionali. strada meno agevole della musica da camera ed esordisce, appena diciassettenne, nel Abbandonata la struttura in un solo movimento del giovanile Quartetto per archi, 1888, con il Quartetto per due violini, viola e violoncello in re maggiore, eseguito con la quale aveva forse voluto rendere omaggio a Franz Liszt, Caetani concepisce alla Sala Dante di Roma dai componenti della «Società del Quintetto». Sfogliando una forma in più movimenti di differenti tonalità separati da linee di demarcazione. la corrispondenza di Roffredo e le recensioni delle sue composizioni, conservate, Ad alterare lo schema tradizionalmente codificato di questo genere musicale, è il con la produzione dell’artista, nell’ Archivio della Fondazione Camillo Caetani di ruolo preminente assunto dalla scala ungherese – utilizzata tante volte da Liszt – che, Roma, si intuisce che l’esecuzione pubblica dell’opera prima di un giovanissimo presente in tutti e tre i tempi, conferisce al Quartetto un senso di unità. compositore appartenente a uno dei più illustri e nobili casati italiani non dovette © Mariantonietta Caroprese passare inosservata. Gli elogi che il pubblico e la critica tributarono al Tempo di From 2016, under the guidance of Simone Gramaglia (quartetto di Cremona), the Alauda quartet is part of the Italian “Le dimore del quartetto” project, created by the Associazione Piero Farulli. During their time at the Royal Academy they studied with Jon Thorne and had masterclasses with eminent quartets including Belcea Quartet, Artemis, Endellions and Emerson. They also received their Masters in Chamber Music from the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover where they studied with Oliver Wille of the Kuss Quartet. The Alauda quartet was selected to perform at IMS Prussia Cove in 2013 and since 2014 has been taking part on the ProQuartet – CEMC programme in France. At ProQuartet they studied with Günter Pichler with whom they also studied at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, July 2014. They have also had the great honour of performing for the late Sir Colin Davis. The Alauda Quartet is also involved in several educational projects across the UK. Appointed Young Professional String Quartet in residence at Pro Corda in 2013 and giving workshops at public schools through the Westminster Music Service. Cristina Prats-Costa plays a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume, kindly on loan from The Alauda Quartet is one of the leading young European string quartets formed at MERITO String Instruments Trust GmbH. the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2011. An internationally diverse ensemble, the quartet hails from four different corners of Europe but shares a unifying passion for chamber music and a strong desire to explore the repertoire of the string quartet. Follow the Alauda Quartet on Hello Stage! Selected as Park Lane Group artists in 2015 they gave their debut recitals at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall and St. Martin-in-the-fields in London. They were also selected Concert Artists with Making Music for 2016-17. The quartet enjoys a busy performing schedule and has performed extensively across the UK at venues and festivals including Barbican Hall, Conway Hall, St Margarets Westminster, Kings Place, Kings Lynn Festival, Friends of Beaminster Festival, Bury St Edmunds Concert Club, Winchester College Concert Series, City Music Society, Avon Valley Concerts, Stockbridge Music Festival, Lincoln We would like to Thank the Caetani Foundation, the president Piergiacomo International Concert Series and Bradford Cathedral Chamber Series among others. Sottoriva and Paolina Rinaldi, the Royal Academy of Music, Principal Jonathan As well as their concerts in the UK the Alauda Quartet have enjoyed performing in Freeman-Attwood, head of strings Jo Cole, our teachers Oliver Wille, Corina Belcea, various music festivals across Europe and Asia holding regular tours in Spain, Italy, Jon Thorne, Bernhard Kerres and our families Prats-Costa, Berginc, Lawton and Serbia and Germany. They gave their debut recital at the National Centre for the Cappelletti for their unconditional support. Performing Arts in Beijing in 2014 and at the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2016. The Alauda Quartet recorded at the Radio Nacional de España as part of the We would also like to express our gratitute to our German family Margaret and Uwe Young Artist Platform Series and has also been broadcast on Radio Vaticana in Rome. Brötz that always hosts us during our stay in Hannover.