Maconchy - String Quartet nr. 3 & nr. 4

No fancy titles here. This is good old-fashioned 'durchkomponiertes' quartet material. A few weeks ago I sampled the short Third Quartet as an introduction to this collection of what seem to be 13 very nice specimens in the genre. I have relistened to it a number of times over the last couple of days and the work doesn't cease to impress me. The surefooted mix of heartfelt lyricism, a steely kind of resolve and a impressive level of intellectual concentration works wonders.

The String Quartet nr. 4 clearly comes from the same skillful pen. However it is a good deal more reserved, even austere, than its predecessor. Small wonder, perhaps, as it was composed in the darkest hours of the Second World War (1942-43). It's laid out in four movements coming in just under a quarter of an hour. The music is particularly tightly knit with the opening motive, for cello pizzicato, permeating the whole work. It is by no means an easy quartet. It requires repeated listening to probe under its rather opaque surface. By now I have heard it perhaps 6 or 7 times and I can sense that eventually this will become a work that is dear to me. It's not that the music is outrageously difficult. it's just very stern and aloof. I'll continue the exploration of this fine body of work with relish.