Presents
George Onslow
String Quartet No.6 in A Major, Op.8 No.3--New Edition
"String Quartet No.6, Op.8 No.3 is in A Major is the last of a set of three he composed after he had taken composition lessons from Anton Reicha and dedicated to the French violin virtuoso Pierre Baillot. Its opening movement, Allegro, is based on a 5 note motif stated first by the cello and first violin and then the second violin. The next movement, Andante non troppo lento is perhaps the most striking of the Quartet. In the original manuscript the movement is subtitled al Hispanuola. This was due to the fact that it is based on a popular late 18th Century Spanish dance, the Seguidilla bolera. This dance is generally stately in nature, of moderate tempo, in a minor key and usually in either 3/4 or 3/8 time. Onslow is able to create a very convincing effect by the use of a regular and repetitive accompaniment figure in the viola and cello set against staccato and syncopated melody in the 1st violin. This exotic effect is further enhanced by Onslow’s ability to conjure the strumming sound of a guitar, an instrument to which the Seguidilla bolera is usually performed. He achieves this through the use of rapid, staccato notes in repetition passed from voice to voice at various points. With the exception of Boccherini, who spent his life in Spain, there is little or nothing that is contemporary which compares with this marvellous movement. In the Minuetto Allegro, Onslow once again reaches into his stock of tonal colors to create ‘a call to the hunt,’The first section begins with an unusual trumpet-like theme given to the first violin while the rest of the voices are made to sound like horns. The finale, Vivace stylistically, but not tonally, shows the influence of Beethoven’s Op.18 Quartets to which Reicha had introduced him."---The Chamber Music Journal
Perhaps no composer more than George Onslow (1784-1853) illustrates the fickleness of fame. Onslow was born and lived his entire life in France, the son of an English father and French mother. His 36 string quartets and 34 string quintets were a constant feature of concert programs throughout the 19th century, particularly in Germany, Austria and England. where he was regularly placed in the front rank of composers by such experts as Mendelssohn and Schumann. His work was admired by both Beethoven and Schubert, the latter modeling his own 2 cello quintet (D.956) on those of Onslow and not, as is so often claimed, on those of Boccherini. George Onslow's String Quartet No.4 was one of the most popular and frequently performed quartets of its time. Yet, until a few years ago, both he and this quartet were virtually unknown.
This quartet will be enjoyed by both amateur and professional players. It will do well in concert and historically is important becasue it stands in stark contrast to anything being composed, at least in France, at this time.
Parts: $24.95
Parts & Score: $34.95
