Presents
Adolf Lindblad
String Quartet No.4 in b minor
It is not known when Adolf Lindblad composed his String Quartet No.4 in b minor. Most sources suggest he wrote 7 string quartets, a few state there were 10. Some of these quartets may have been originally published by the Swedish firm of Abraham Hirsch sometime in the late 1840's, but this is not at all certain as copies do not seem to have surfaced. In was only in 1911, some 33 years after Lindblad's death, that the Leipzig firm of C.G. Röder published all seven of his quartets. The quartet is an interesting work. The opening movement, Allegro ma non troppo, shows the imprint of his composition teacher Carl Zelter and in some respects resembles some of Mendelssohn's early quartets. The second movement, Allegretto grazioso, is full of forward motion but also very song like. Next comes a Menuetto, allegro. The finale, Allegro molto, begins with an agitated theme before becoming more lyrical.
Adolf Lindblad (1801-1878) was born in the Swedish town of Skänninge. He took piano and flute lessons from local teachers before entering Uppsala University where he studied composition and harmony. He then went to Berlin continuing his studies with the well known composition teacher Carl Zelter. A fellow student was Felix Mendelssohn and the two struck up a friendship which lasted throughout Mendelssohn's life. Upon his return to Sweden, Lindblad devoted himself to composition and teaching, opening a music school which he ran for most of his life. He became well-known as a music teacher and eventually secured a position as teacher to the King's children. The income from this allowed him time to compose. His specialty was the art song or lieder of which he composed over 200, earning him the title of “the Swedish Schubert." But he did not ignore other genres including chamber music and penned string quartets, string quintets, several instrumental sonatas and a piano trio. Lindblad's music shows the influence of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and as a result sounds like that of the late Classical and early Romantic eras.
This is a lovely work which should be of interest to both professionals and amateurs.
Parts: $24.95
