VOICES OF DEFIANCE – A Wartime Compilation

This music, performed by the Dover String Quartet, contains pieces by three Early Modern composers with all of the works having a link to World War II. The three composers are Dmitri Shostakovich – Russian, Szymon Laks – Polish, and Viktor Ullmann – Czech. I am going to discuss the Laks and Ullmann works.

Ullmann’s two-movement String Quartet No. 3 was written in the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1943. Given the circumstances, it is interesting in that it opens with a lush mood; romantic melodies abound, this could be popular music. Slowly the music drifts into abstraction, while still maintaining a melodic approach, but changing to a more dissonant note selection. It eventually starts to fall apart and becomes somewhat inward-looking. There is a small period of rhythmic intensity but it soon returns to its former melodic ideas. A period of unrest ensues, but again, not for long as a violin and a cello exchange phrases for a moment. Now a virtuosic violin phrase leads into a tempo, with many rhythmic interjections. The music is somewhat reminiscent of Shostakovich’s early quartets. The tempo now dissipates, leaving a lone violin to initiate another lush passage. This slowly ebbs and flows until a pause brings about another longing solo violin moment. The second violin gently moves into the music and there is a stasis as the two violins muse with an occasional cello phrase in support. The end comes very quietly.

The short second movement commences powerfully with strong, rhythmic, harmonised, dissonant phrases. The violin leads a slightly hectic passage, which then re-invokes the opening. A solid chordal phase leads into another full, rich, dissonant run of chords that conclude the piece.

Szymon Laks’ Third Quartet, in four movements, was written in 1945 following his liberation from Auschwitz at the end of the war. It begins with a jaunty passage, followed by an insistent ostinato moment, before returning to the opening mood. This feeling is expanded into an extended passage of great depth of feeling, which is finally moderated by another jaunty mood. The violins intersperse rhythmic thrusts with optimistic, melodic sections. These thrusts are most effective, evoking a military flavour. This movement displays great variation, and many fine melodic phrases. A slight tension builds, but it quickly dissipates into a harmonised section, again with a military sound, before it finishes on some strong chords.

The second movement opening suggests a Beethoven influence with slightly dissonant sustained chords producing a delicate melody. A violin plays beautiful, lilting phrases and a slow viola pizzicato leads to another wonderful harmonically rich fabric. The violins are almost searing in their intensity, producing a powerful sound. Now we return to the lilting melodies which drift casually across a viola ostinato. An almost orchestral-sounding passage ensues, with rich harmonies underpinning the melodies. Eventually it moves to a faded ending.

The next movement has a pizzicato introduction with all instruments involved. This proceeds for an extended period, with occasional melodic interludes. These melodies are very simple and not of their time, they are most romantic. It’s fair to say that this movement is dominated by pizzicato, even with the melodic phases. The end is a long, racing pizzicato melodic line.

The finale begins with a succession of rolling chordal phrases. This quickly changes to a folk-like solo violin melodic passage, followed by another ensemble period with the same mood. The folk rhythms continue, and build in intensity to drive the music forward. A short folksy fiddle-like violin interlude leads back into the previous intensity. This time it is for an extended period of strong chords which increase in volume. A virtuosic violin passage brings with it a new mood which slows down the chords and concludes the work.

I am not going to discuss the Shostakovich Second Quartet, written in 1944 but I can tell you it is an ominous, foreboding work. Performed magnificently here by the Dover Quartet, it runs for over thirty minutes.

Being a relatively new release, this CD on Cedille Records is available on both Amazon US and UK. You can also listen to it on Spotify and YouTube. Several Szymon Laks quartets are on earsense here and Ullmann here.

Listenability: A superb, themed album containing some fine music.