German-born American Early Modern composer Charles Martin Tornov Loeffler [1861–1935] appears to have written two string quartets. I am going to ignore the one named as a string quartet which Wikipedia dates as 1899 and intend instead to discuss an alternative work Music for Four Stringed Instruments, which is a more mature piece, composed in 1917 that just happens to be played by a string quartet. I shall also briefly examine a marvellous String Quintet.
The former work opens in an adagio tempo with a striking solo cello section, deep in its lower register, before giving way to strong, probing violin melodies that slowly build to a climax. The cello again comes to the fore and initiates a change in the mood of the violins. Now they overlap with rich melodic lines until eventually, a slight rhythmic impetus occurs. This does not last and the violins continue. The movement is characterised by brief interludes which constantly threaten to change the feeling, but these changes are minimal and do not interrupt the general flow of the music. Nearing the end, some sweet melodies appear and move into a powerful concluding section with rhythmically strong chords.
The next movement marked le saint jour de paques, which upon translation from the French, is revealed to be a title – The Holy Day of Easter. A solo violin, soon followed by another evokes the opening mood of Bartok’s First String Quartet for me, albeit without the undercurrent of dissonance associated with that much later work. The two violins have a spiritual purity all of their own, and, as the cello and viola move in behind them, this mood is sustained for some time. Now the violins become more optimistic, with a positive intent, even leading to a brief rhythmic passage, before the violins regain a sense of majesty. A salient cello breaks up this mood and we have a return to earlier spiritual musings, which are expressed in a pastoral manner as they slowly wind down and move into long, sustained melodic lines, which complete the movement.
The finale, marked as moderato, features strongly harmonised melodies, ostensibly without a tempo, despite its marking. After another stately section, a gently rhythmic passage ensues. Again, a pastoral feeling is heard, and these are the sweetest violins heard so far in the work. The major key predominates and some of the melodies and playing evoke a Classical style. A change into a swirling, uplifting passage soon becomes gentle with quivering bows underpinning some wonderful violin lines. Now the mood moves into a minor tonality, with the quivering bows persisting but the focus is on long, sweeping harmonised violin lines – such a marvellous feeling. A new section reveals the composer’s Romantic influences and a deeply expressive mood unfolds. Out of this carpet of violins, one voice steps forward in a most stately manner, and the mood slowly dissipates into one of sparse violins edging towards the end, with deep cello lines sustaining the mood. The conclusion is three long chords, with the last one sustained for some time.
This is a fabulous piece of writing, with the harmonic richness of the Romantic era, combined with the melodic freedom of the early 20th century, leading to a wonderful blend of soundscapes.
There is also a one – movement string quintet on the review CD, which is arranged for three violins, and viola and cello, a combination that is a little unusual in my experience. It was written in 1894, is in one movement and definitely is of its time. The opening is blatantly Romantic but the melodic invention is wonderful, and the mood, perfect. Quickly moving into a sweet but dynamic passage, the mood turns briefly to drama, before rapidly backing off. This time a section of harmonised chordal interjections leads back into a pastoral nature. The sound of the violins again evoke a spiritual nature. Mildly sombre melodies reach out and the cello initiates a move into a strong, rhythmic feeling. This energy is sustained for some considerable time, before dropping back to a solo cello, soon to be joined by violin lines that again evoke Dvorak, with pentatonic scales that are associated with that composer’s 1890s works.
A lighter character is now presented, with optimistic violin lines soon moving into double-time, to great effect. Now the mood becomes very powerful, for a brief time only. The return of stately violins is again of a Romantic nature, and further pentatonic scales abound, before some dramatic thrusts give the music more purpose. Eventually, the intensity recedes and charming violin lines wander over and around a sparkling cello, before a series of sustained chords conclude.
The review CD, titled Loeffler: Music for Stringed Instruments / String Quartet, which also contains the String Quartet in A minor is on the Naxos label, performed by the Da Vinci Quartet and is available on Amazon UK and US.
This disc can be heard on Spotify, earsense and YouTube.
Listenability: This music falls beautifully between two eras – two charming works.