REPERTOIRE TIPS String quartets

KALEVI AHO MATS LARSSON GOTHE SEPPO POHJOLA String Quartet No. 1 (1967) In modo lidico (Ein Heiliger String Quartet No. 4 (2006) Dur: 30’ Dankgesang) (2017) Dur: 4’ Dur: 33’ Aho’s first string quartet provides a A refle tion over the slow third Pohjola’s first four string quartets fascinating insight into the musical movement in Beethoven’s String have been recorded and the reviews world of an 18-year-old. When he Quartet No. 15. Larsson Gothe de- have not been stinting with their showed it to his teacher, Einojuhani scribes how deeply he was moved praise. According to the late Jouni Rautavaara, he was told that there when he heard this for the first time, Kaipainen, the fourth is one of the was no longer any need to study a feeling that Beethoven had in some greatest works by Pohjola and a tonal harmony and formal construc- way tied together past and present landmark in Finnish quartet litera- tions because he would pass the ex- in his lyrical tone language, based ture. It has two large sections sepa- ams straight away. The quartet begins in variation form. The lyrical second on the Lydian church mode. This is something that repeats itself in Larsson rated by a general pause. Pohjola here varies canonic themes with consid- movement has a light, virtuosic middle section that proceeds to the third, Gothe’s piece, which despite the small format contains the formal frame- erable invention and imagination. The second part evolves and proceeds at quick movement and on to a chorale-like final . work – introduction, exposition, development and coda. Composed for the times with a lively onward drive. But listen especially to the magical ending: project Beethoven #without fil er and Uppsala Chamber Soloists. what a delicate, impressive texture! TOBIAS BROSTRÖM INGVAR LIDHOLM CARIN String Quartet No. 1 (2013) MALMLÖF-FORSSLING Dur: 24’ Three Elegies and Epilogue (1947/86) Dur: 20’ The Silver Quartet (1988) Broström’s first string quartet starts Dur: 13’ out with a lovely, softly billowing In 1940, the 19-year old Lidholm first movement. It passes over into composed an ‘Elegiac Suite’ in three Five short movements written in a an energetic and dancing ‘Allegro’, movements for string quartet, where positive and harmonic spirit. Even followed by the 3rd movement’s one can find traces of inspiration if there is a certain melancholy that magical, shimmering ‘Calmo’, and from both Sibelius and Stenhammar. pervades the tone language itself, the rhythmically violent 4th move- More than 40 years later he wrote a the overall impression is still bright ment’s pizzicatos. With its whirling short epilogue, “a Hilding Rosenberg with the two lively outer move- sextuplets the fi th movement reconnects with the firs , and the opening con reverenza,” to celebrate his friend ments, and the third movement’s th bitter-sweet violin theme returns. Composed for Brooklyn Rider. and teacher’s 90 birthday. When Lidholm in 1986 appended this ‘Epilogue’ energetic Scherzo played entirely pizzicato. As if to underline the work’s to the ‘Three Elegies’ he had a reason: he “wanted to see if the youthful tones character, the last movement has been given the marking Allegro con fe- had any relevance to the composer who wrote the Epilogue.” CECILIA DAMSTRÖM licita (happy allegro).

Letters (2018) Dur: 15’ JYRKI LINJAMA EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA Written as a commentary on Jan- String Quartet No. 2 ”Aller- String Quartet No. 1 (1953) acek’s second string quartet ”Inti- heiligentag III” (2018) Dur: 20’ mate Letters”, Damström’s music is Dur: 22’ inspired by the lines that Janacek Allerheiligentag III is based on a The new Urtext edition sheds new wrote to his beloved Kamila. In her Finnish folk chorale for All Saints’ Day. light on this quartet from Rau- music, Damström tries to depict the Linjama became so attached to the tavaara’s Neo-Classical early period, feelings and words that form the harsh, beautiful melody that it has with his corrections and comments. content of his correspondence: heav- generated a whole cycle of works. Stravinsky and Finnish folk music are en, hope, fear, fi e and much more. This string quartet is in three move- present in the rhythmical first move- The work is dedicated to the Brodsky Quartet and was written on commis- ments tensed in diffe ent ways by ment; entering later is a characteris- sion from the Netherlands Stift Festival. contrasts. The first has both swinging tic scale of alternating half and whole softness and cutting sharpness, the Scherzo the wildness of a dance of death tones. After the Slavic romanticism of the slow movement (Andante), the and lyricism, and the finale the irrevocability of a funeral march and tender fiddler eturns in a cheerful Gigue. KIMMO HAKOLA melodiousness. String Quartet No. 4 (2016) ALBERT SCHNELZER Dur: 13’ KAI NIEMINEN String Quartet No 2 – Emperor Hakola’s short but wildly intense String Quartet No. 3 “Gestures Akbar (2009) Dur:12’ quartet got an enthusiastic recep- of Winter” (2017) Dur: 20’ tion at its premiere and was said to Inspired by a novel by Salman Rush- have the makings of a small-scale The four string quartets by Kai Nie- die, the character Emperor Akbar’s cult work. Its “heavy riff ”, players minen were inspired by the experi- complex personality is refle ted in stamping on the floor and other such ence of a starry Arctic night, unsul- Schnelzer’s music. The string quartet things provide plenty of surprises. In lied by street lamps or other light starts out literally with the emperor the composer’s own words, it has the pollution. The world of sound in decapitating a young rebel. After playful, defia tly dramatic, surprising, capricious and unrestrained tour de each of the four captures the wintry that, rhythmical and violent passag- force of a youthful entity, and it continues his line of exciting quartets; his atmosphere and light of Maritime es alternate with achingly beautiful, first on the Unesco Composers’ Rostrum in 1987. Lapland. Gestures of Winter bears the epithet “Time Around Northern Night contemplative scenes. A commission from the Nordland Music Festival for Skies…’’. The most recent, 4th quartet was premiered at a streamed concert the Brodsky Quartet. given by the Sea Lapland String Quartet on 16 February. HALVOR HAUG MATTHEW WHITTALL String Quartet No. 1 (1985) PEHR HENRIK NORDGREN Dur: 22’ Bright Ferment (String Quartet String Quartet No. 11 (2008) No. 2) (2019) Dur: 9’ A theme consisting of fi e tones, Bb- Dur: 21‘ A-Ab-B-G, dramatically opens Haug’s Strange Geography (String first string quartet. The tone material Nordgren’s quartet is introspective Quartet No. 3) (2019) Dur: 10’30” recurs later in various ways through and devout in tone. Its distinctive its six contrasting but connected soundscape is the result of the abnor- Quartet No. 2 was commissioned for sections, and the whole string quar- mal tuning, which returns to normal the Banff International String Quar- tet is concluded with the theme in in the lively Rondo and is “as if a light tet Competition. It opens with de- its original form. Composed for the were shining from a very confined lightful energy and proceeds towards Norwegian String Quartet. space”. The Lamentoso interlude is an a more lyrical section featuring some excruciatingly beautiful meditation exquisite moments. The compact, in- on a chorale theme, and the short closing Pietoso epilogue is like a flash trovert third quartet shares the same strands of musical DNA – polyrhythmic of another reality. beats plus the repetition and refle tive beauty typical of Whittall’s music.

6 HIGHLIGHTS 1/2021