Presents
Nikolai Myaskovsky
String Quartet No.10 in F Major, Op.67 No.1
Nikolai Myaskovsky's String Quartet No.10 began as an early work and was completed in 1907. However, Myaskovsky returned to it in 1943 and decided, as he put it, “to clean it up.” It is the only one of his early quartets which he radically revised. The opening movement, Allegro non troppo, is characterized by energetic, clearly set out melodic material. The second movement, Vivo scherzando, is an upbeat, genial scherzo with playful rhythms and a lyrical trio section. Next comes an Andante con moto lagramabile, it is lyrical and somewhat introspective. The finale, Allegro molto e con brio is a hard-driving, vigorous affair full of bright melodies and swaths of almost orchestral sound. Our all new edition has been carefully edited by senior editors Lloyd Celzo and R.H.R. Silvertrust.
Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881-1950) has to be one of the most underrated composers of the 20th century. Most who come to his music for the first time are amazed that it is not better known. He wrote some 27 symphonies and 13 string quartets. Myaskovsky was born in Congress (i.e. Russian) Poland near Warsaw, where his father, a military engineer was then serving. He took piano and violin lessons as a boy but followed in his father's footsteps, entering the military academy and graduating as an engineer. When he was posted to Moscow, he studied composition with Reinhold Gliere. Upon transfer to St. Petersburg, he finally decided to become a composer and entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory where he studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov. It was there he met Prokofiev with whom he became close friends. He served in WWI and was severely wounded on the Austrian front. After the war, he taught for most of his life at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his many students were Kabalevsky, Khatchaturian, Shebalin and Shchedrin.
While we know the quartets of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, those of Myaskovsky are every bit as deserving of our attention. Here is yet another fine work which belongs in the concert hall and which should be of interest to professional groups everywhere and which is well within the ability of amateurs.
Parts: $29.95
Parts & Score: $37.95
