The Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu [1890-1959] wrote seven string quartets and a student work, Three Horsemen, which was composed when he was twelve. Coincidentally, Mozart also wrote his first SQ at age twelve, but his is not considered to be a student work. He had already written his first symphony at the age of eight!
Martinu’s first quartet is of epic proportions, running to a length of just under 40 minutes. Essentially a conservative work, it has four movements and the writing reveals a significant influence of Dvorak. This is fine early 20th century music. It opens very tenderly and peacefully with a fugue. The cello is not heard until nearly a minute has elapsed. There are some delightful folk-like melodies here. It then slowly works its way into some solid rhythmic melodies and forms. A pause seems to suggest a new movement, which is not the case. The mood picks up, revealing some stately melodies where again, the cello stays silent for a time. Themes constantly reappear, and the introductory theme is restated very quietly as the movement ends peacefully.
The second movement also has a false ending. The first section begins andante then becomes rhythmically driven but the second has a dance-like quality. The movement finishes with a deep sense of calm.
Movement three starts with a jaunty style and mostly sustains it. I hear lots of the sound of Dvorak here. Also, Martinu constantly reinvokes selected themes, giving the work a sense of organisational unity. This is a very melodic movement.
The fourth movement runs for 13 minutes. It opens in a minor key, the first time that this tonality appears in the work. In contrast to the first three movements, it mostly maintains an uptempo feeling for its entirety. There are several slower sections but they are not substantial. Some fine melodies are to be found throughout the movement.
In essence the quartet is constantly moving from the refined to the rhythmic. For me, this is music of the mountains and valleys, with a strong Czechoslovakian flavour. There is unbridled joy and the changing moods have so much to offer the listener. I feel that my words don’t do justice to this quartet. It seems that, sometimes, critical analysis doesn’t work. There are just so many beautiful features here, constantly being stated and re-worked in a myriad of different ways. It is a very uplifting piece!
SQ No. 1 can be found on various Martinu CDs. The one I have, by the Martinu Quartet on Naxos also contains Quartet No. 2, which is excellent, albeit a bit more serious, and the student work Three Horseman.
This quartet can be heard on Spotify, YouTube and earsense.
Listenability: A fine first quartet from a composer who obviously had great empathy for his country.