Presents
Jurgis Karnavičius
String Quartet No.2 in d minor, Op.6
Jurgis Karnavičius (1884-1941) was born in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas, which at the time was a part of the Russian Empire. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, as his father, an important lawyer, was appointed chief prosecutor of the city. He began to study piano with his mother at home but then attended the Vilnius Music Academy where he studied violin with Viktor Antonivich Dobrzynski and piano with Josef Ruzicka. At the insistence of his father, he went to St. Petersburg where he took a law degree. At the same time, however, he studied composition at the St Petersburg Conservatory with Alexander Glazunov and Maximillian Steinberg, Steinberg was Rimsky Korsakov’s successor and son-in-law. The two became friends. Steinberg had grown up in Vilnius and graduated there from the same school as Karnavicius. Steinberg was instrumental in helping Karnavicius obtain a teaching position at the St Petersburg Conservatory, a position which he held until 1927. In 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War, Karnavicius was conscripted into the Russian Army. He was captured by the Austrians in 1916 and taken to the Josefstadt district of Vienna where he was held prisoner for two years. After the war, he returned to St Petersburg and resumed his teaching position, publicly performing his songs and taking part in string quartet concerts. During his final years in St Petersburg, he participated in the activities of the Contemporary Music Association. In 1927, he returned to Lithuanian, teaching at both the Vilnius and Kaunas Conservatories. He also played viola in the state opera orchestra and continued performing with several string quartets. He wrote in most genres and has four string quartets to his credit. His music combines the traditions of Russian classical music with more innovative harmonies and instrumentation. He was especially fond of using the melodies of Lithuanian folk songs in his music. Like many composers whose creative period spanned from the late Romantic into the modern era, his work can be divided into two different stylistic periods. His first two quartets dating from 1913 and 1917 are typically late Romantic works which reflect the influence of his teachers at the St Petersburg Conservatory, String Quartet No.2 was composed while he was an Austrian prisoner in Vienna and was not premiered until after he had returned to Russia, when it was given at a concert sponsored by the Contemporary Russian Propaganda Society during their 1923 concert season.
, Molto moderato--Allegro moderato, begins in leisurely fashion with a powerful viola phrase, which is echoed by a violin. After only a few bars, the tempo suddenly changes to a quick pace and with a flurry of excitement and mood changes throughout. The second movement, Allegretto, features an upbeat conversation between the violins. The mood for the most part is upbeat. A pizzicato section in the middle is quite imaginative. In the third place is an Andante, the opening theme to which is quite romanrtic and the subsequent melodies are equally lyrical. The finale, Allegro, to begin with is dominated by its powerful rhythm of the firs theme, which has a lilting quality. Once again the music proceeds through several mood swings and changes often without warning, creating a suprising effect. In this quartet, Karnavicius while not abandoning late Romantic era ideas entirely, is clearly moving in the direction of impressionism and modernism.
This is a big and interesting work deserving concert performance. It can also be managed by experienced amateur players.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $38.95
