String Quartet No. 1, op. 3 (1951)
I. Allegro
II. Andante religioso
III. Scherzo
IV. Finale
First
Performance: July, 9, 1951, Freiburg, Kaufhaussaal
Gisela Wilhelmi,
Edith Klein, Emil Maas, Bertold Hummel
Duration: 16 Minutes
Publisher: N. Simrock Hamburg-London (Boosey & Hawkes) ISMN M221121073
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| I. | II. | III. | IV. |
In
his 1st String Quartet, the 26 year old Bertold Hummel shows himself to be already
a highly inventive musician capable of expressing vitality and passion in an artistically
shaped composition. One cannot fail to notice in its four movements his youthful
enthusiasm for Hindemith and Bartok.
Variable metres, dance fragments and,
above all, the Gregorian chant heard in the 2nd movement point the way to later
major works. The available techniques of the different stringed instruments are
very familiar to him as a cellist and are used effectively in the powerful forward
motion of the piece.
This carefully researched edition by Simrock will be
a real discovery for inquiring chamber musicians and concert organisers. Of medium
difficulty.