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University of Florida Performing Arts
presents
Borealis String Quartet
Patricia Shih, violin
Yuel Yawney, violin
Nikita Pogrebnoy, viola
Shih-Lin Chen, cello
Sunday, October 17, 2010, 2 p.m.
University Auditorium
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PROGRAM
Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1
Franz Joseph Haydn
Allegro con spirit
Adagio sostenuto
Menuetto: Presto
Allegro ma non troppo
Quartet No. 8
Dmitri Shostakovich
Largo
Allegro molto
Allegretto
Largo
Largo
———————————————— INTERMISSION ————————————————
Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 27
Edvard Grieg
Un poco Andante; Allegro molto ed agitato
Romanze: Andantino
Intermezzo: Allegro molto marcato
Finale: Lento; Presto al Saltarello
PROGRAM NOTES
Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)
By the time Haydn returned to Vienna in 1795, after his second immensely successful visit to London,
several new elements had become integrated into his writing. His new style reflected his experience of
composing for public performances by highly accomplished musicians in large halls. Also the realization
that he was widely regarded as the greatest living composer (Mozart had already died, and Beethoven
had not yet made his mark) had imbued him with great boldness and self-assurance.
When Count Joseph Erdödy asked Haydn for a set of quartets, probably early in 1796, the sixty-fouryear-old composer brought to the task his newly developed musical outlook, along with forty years of
continuous growth and maturation in writing for the medium. Among the new features he incorporated
into these quartets are more profound and emotional slow movements that move at an extremely
deliberate pace and, as Haydn biographer H.C. Robbins Landon finds, “are also bathed in a curiously
impersonal and remote melancholy.” The minuets, on the other hand, are now more like scherzos, faster
in tempo and lighter in mood in comparison with the older, dignified minuet-style movements. Haydn
also experimented with new formal schemes in the first movements of Quartets 5 and 6, instead of
holding to the traditional sonata form. And the finales, which had tended to be light and humorous in
character, became more serious and intellectually challenging.
Composed in 1796 and 1797, the six quartets of Op. 76 were dedicated to Count Erdödy and published
in 1799.
————————————————
The quartet opens with three powerful chords, a symbolic summons perhaps for the public concert
audiences. The statement of the first theme, a single line of melody, is made by the cello alone,
answered by the solo viola. After two further statements by isolated pairs of instruments, there follows
a tutti continuation of the theme. Haydn then expands and extends this subject until a rapid, violent
unison passage acts as the transition to the delightfully ingratiating second subject. The development
begins with a viola statement of the first theme along with a countermelody in the second violin. The
countermelody comes to play a major part in the development and then again in the recapitulation,
where the first violin plays it as the cello repeats the principal theme.
In the Adagio sostenuto, the focal point of the entire quartet, Haydn molds and fashions three distinct
musical gestures into a solemn movement of deep significance. The first, which proves also to be most
important, is a sustained theme played in chorale style by all four instruments. The second idea is a
dialogue between the cello and first violin conducted against repeated notes in the second violin and
viola. And finally, the three lower instruments play short repeated notes, above which the first violin
adds a long, unbroken stream of afterbeats — a passage that requires a keen rhythmic sense and
intense concentration from all the players. Through the statement and varied repetition of this simply
described material, Haydn creates a most moving and effective movement.
Although Haydn called the next movement Menuetto, the faster tempo, the single strong beat in each
bar instead of three, and the much lighter character identify this movement as a scherzo, probably the
first echt scherzo in the Haydn quartets. In another departure from tradition, the following trio, with its
roots in the old Austrian Ländler dance, is obviously intended to be played very much slower than the
opening and concluding Menuetto parts.
Not light and fluffy like earlier Haydn finales, this last movement has the necessary weight and
importance to balance what came before. Although the quartet is in G major, Haydn starts the last
movement in a unison G minor. After a long trilled note ends the unison, the viola alone plays the
tune, while the violins add a countermelody. Haydn develops this material and then makes the outlook
grow even darker as he slows down the propulsive forward motion for the second theme, an ominous
sounding transformation of the violin’s countermelody from near the beginning of the movement. The
development section tries to generate a more joyful spirit but never quite succeeds. Then, after coming
to a complete stop, the recapitulation starts with the principal theme in the cheerful key of G major; the
second theme, though, keeps its same dour expression. In the coda Haydn suddenly introduces a flip,
happy tune. Some hear this as a successful attempt to achieve a sunny, cheerful ending. Others regret
what they consider the trivialization of the work’s final measures.
— Notes from Guide to Chamber Music, by Melvin Berger ©1985 (used with permission).
Quartet No. 8
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975)
“In memory of victims of fascism and war.” So reads the dedication of Shostakovich’s eighth quartet,
completed in about three days during the summer of 1960, while the composer was in Dresden writing
the score for a film on World War II, called Five Days, Five Nights. Deeply involved in the film’s subject
matter and surrounded by evidence of the dreadful violence and destruction of the war, Shostakovich
was moved to compose a frankly autobiographical quartet reflecting on the tragic period. By using the
acronym formed from his name, DSCH, as the musical motto to open and sustain the work (in German
these four letters stand for the notes D, E-flat, C, and B) and by weaving many short quotes from
past compositions into the texture, Shostakovich gives the quartet what scholar Norman Kay calls its
“overtly programmatic” character.
The quartet is cast in five movements, which are played without pause. The cello intones the slow,
mournful DSCH theme at the outset, and it is immediately imitated by the other instruments. Additional
themes follow, including some borrowed from his first and fifth symphonies. Formally allied to a rondo,
the DSCH motto dominated throughout.
A torrent of fast, clamorous notes marks the beginning of the second movement. The viola and cello
interrupt with a forceful unison statement of the four-note motto theme before honing the headlong
flight. The quotation of the Jewish-sounding melody from his second piano trio, here like a chilling
shriek, produces a change in texture. The movement pressed on, only one time falling below a
fortissimo (“very loud”) dynamic level, until it is abruptly cut off, seemingly in mid-phrase.
The principal theme of the third movement, a bitter, ironic, and somewhat grotesque waltz, is clearly a
transformation of DSCH. Various episodes are heard between returns of the waltz melody, including a
snatch from the composer’s Cello Concerto.
The Cello Concerto quotation extends into the fourth movement and becomes its first theme.
Shostakovich bases the second theme on the Russian revolutionary song Languishing in Prison, which
he follows at the climax of the movement, with a melody from his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,
played in the high register by the cello. A loud, insistent three-note rapping signal is heard throughout
the movement.
The fifth movement is a reminder of the first; it is a slow fugato on DSCH, a deeply expressive epitaph
for all those who fell in the fight against Nazism.
The String Quartet No. 8 was introduced in Leningrad on October 2, 1960, by the Beethoven Quartet.
— Notes from Guide to Chamber Music, by Melvin Berger ©1985 (used with permission).
Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 27
Edvard Grieg (1843 – 1907)
From letters Grieg wrote while working on his string quartet, we know that he was particularly
concerned at that time with the never-ending struggle to achieve musical excellence. “Day by day I
am becoming more dissatisfied with myself,” he wrote. “Nothing that I do satisfies me, and though
it seems to me that I have ideas, they neither soar nor take form when I proceed to the working out
of something big.” The letters also indicate the lofty goal Grieg set himself in the quartet: “It...is not
meant for small minds! It aims at breadth, vigor, flight of imagination and above all, fullness of tone for
the instruments for which it is written.”
Grieg also hints in his writings that the quartet has some autobiographical significance. We can,
perhaps, gain some insight into his thinking by tracing the origin of the motto theme that opens the
quartet and recurs in subsequent movements. The composer borrowed the theme from his song, The
Minstrel’s Song. The words, by fellow Norwegian Henrik Ibsen, tell of the Hulder, the spirit from Norse
legend that dwells in waterfalls and lures minstrels with promises to reveal the art of music. But then,
in return for the musical gifts he bestows, the Hulder robs the minstrels of their happiness and peace
of mind. Could the motto, then, represent the sacrifices that Grieg would be willing to make to improve
his art?
Grieg announces the borrowed motto theme at the very outset in a single, deliberate, bold statement,
with all four instruments in unison, and with an accent on every note. A fast, scurrying theme launches
the main part of the work. Almost orchestral in texture, it is thickly written, with much use of double
stops, in which each of the instruments plays on two strings at the same time. Two tranquillo (“calm”)
statements of the motto theme, with loud, violent interruptions, lead to the second theme, which is little
more than a faster, though quiet, version of the motto. Both themes are developed and returned as in
traditional sonata form. A striking moment comes toward the end of the movement when the upper three
strings are playing tremolo ponticello, while the cello sings a nostalgic augmentation of the motto.
The Romanze shows Grieg at his tuneful best. Essentially the movement is organized into an alternation
of the opening melody and an agitated contrast, in which echoes of the motto theme are thinly
concealed.
Grieg’s great love for the national music of Norway comes to the fore most clearly in the third
movement; the melodies all have the rhythmic verve and earthy energy of folk dances. Continuing the
thematic unity of the quartet, the theme heard at the opening reminds us once more of the original
motto.
The motto theme acts as a frame for the Finale — appearing in both the introduction and the coda.
The main body of the movement is a bright, lively saltarello, its style set by the eponymous sixteenthcentury Italian jumping dance.
Grieg completed the quartet in 1877 and dedicated it to Robert Heckman, whose quartet gave the first
performance in October 1878.
— Notes from Guide to Chamber Music, by Melvin Berger ©1985 (used with permission).
BIOGRAPHIES
BOREALIS STRING QUARTET
Patricia Shih, violin
Yuel Yawney, violin
Nikita Pogrebnoy, viola
Shih-Lin Chen, cello
At the vanguard among exciting quartets of their generation, the Borealis String Quartet has created a
sensation with its dynamic performances, passionate style, and refined musical interpretations. With a
sound called “radiant” by Strad, the Borealis String Quartet has performed to critical acclaim and soldout concert halls throughout North America. The Quartet is sponsored by the influential Chimei Culture
Foundation of Taiwan, allowing them the use of four historic instruments and offering the opportunity
for the Quartet to teach and perform extensively throughout Taiwan each year.
Formed in the fall of 2000, the Borealis String Quartet established a stellar reputation so quickly that its
concerts became instant sell-outs. The Borealis made its New York City debut for Brooklyn Friends of
Chamber Music in 2003, and in 2004-2005, the Quartet returned to New York to perform for Schneider
Concerts and made its first appearance for Music Toronto. Subsequent seasons have seen the Quartet
performing on prestigious series throughout North America, including performances in the 2008-2009
season at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Seattle Symphony’s Benaroya Hall, and at
the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., and in the 2009-2010 season at New York’s
People’s Symphony Concerts and for Portland Friends of Chamber Music. The 2010-2011 season will
feature a performance for SUNY at Buffalo’s Slee Beethoven Cycle as well as a repeat appearance at
Music Toronto.
A longtime favorite at Canadian festivals, the Quartet’s summer venues have included the Vancouver
Chamber Music Festival, the Festival of the Sound in Ontario, the Indian River Festival on Prince Edward
Island and the Baies des Chaleurs Festival in New Brunswick. The Borealis made its first U.S. festival
appearance at the Mendocino Music Festival in California, and in the summer of 2009 undertook a 10day residency at Mexico’s Festival de Música de Cámara de Aguascalientes.
Devoted to performing other chamber music repertoire, the Borealis has collaborated with many
different artists, including clarinetist James Campbell, pianist Luba Dubinsky, and cellist Sadao Harada.
Additionally, the Quartet has worked and collaborated with members of the Borodin, Emerson, and
Tokyo String Quartets. The Borealis has also dedicated itself to the promotion of new works, including
those by Murray Schafer and Steven Chatman, and have commissioned works from Imant Raminsh,
Kelly-Marie Murphy, and John Oliver. The Borealis String Quartet’s critically acclaimed CD — Classic
Borealis (Skylark Records) — was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award. Additionally, the
Quartet will be producing a number of recordings for the Chimei Foundation over the next three years.
The Borealis String Quartet acknowledges the support of the Province of British Columbia through the
British Columbia Arts Council.
PATRICIA SHIH, violin, became a student of the legendary Joseph Gingold at Indiana University
at age 14. He described her as “one of the greatest talents that I have ever taught” and went on to
say that her “great technique, inborn musicality, sense of style and virtuosity are unequalled.” Ms.
Shih has appeared worldwide as a soloist and recitalist in major venues including Wigmore Hall and
Carnegie Hall, where she performed Wieniawski’s Concerto No. 1 at age 15. The same year, she won
the Special Prize at the Wieniawski International Competition in Poland. The recipient of numerous
awards, including the Sylvia Gelber Award for the most outstanding young Canadian musician and
the Mozarteum Prize in Salzburg, Ms. Shih has performed as guest soloist with major orchestras such
as the Royal Philharmonic, the National Symphony of Mexico, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and
the Toronto, Singapore, and Seattle Symphonies. Her DVD of Vivaldi’s Chaconne was featured on
the Classic FM Channel across Europe, and a documentary of her career was televised across North
America on the Biography Channel.
YUEL YAWNEY, violin, has performed extensively in Canada, the United Sates and the Czech Republic,
where he completed his advanced training at the Prague Academy with Joseph Suk. He also studied
at the Harid Conservatory in Florida and at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Texas.
Frequently appearing as soloist and chamber musician, he has been heard at the Kneisel Hall Chamber
Music Festival, the Banff Summer Festival, Domaine Forget and the Scotia Festival.
NIKITA POGREBNOY, viola, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he graduated from the worldfamous St. Petersburg Conservatory with highest honors. He came to the United States at the invitation
of Victor Rosenbaum, the director of the Longy School of Music, who, after hearing Mr. Pogrebnoy’s
performance, awarded him a full scholarship to study in Cambridge. Mr. Pogrebnoy won the Valentino
Bucchi International Competition for Viola in Rome, and has appeared as both a soloist and with various
chamber ensembles across Europe, Spain, Central America, and the United States. A regular performer
at festivals, including the International Musical Arts Institute in Fryeburg, Maine and the Colorado
Music Festival,
Mr. Pogrebnoy has
also been featured
on National Public
Radio.
SHIH-LIN CHEN,
cello, a native
of Taiwan, is the
recipient of a
number of awards
and the winner of
both the concerto
and chamber music
competitions at
the Guandu Music
Festival. Taiwan’s
National Council
for Cultural Affairs
selected Mr. Chen for
its National Chamber Music Seed project in 2001. In addition, he has performed in Taiwan’s National
Performance Hall and has toured extensively throughout his home country, Asia and North America.
His principal teachers have included Sergei Mnojine at the National Taipei University of the Arts and
Paul Katz at the New England Conservatory of Music. Mr. Chen has received coaching from Yo-Yo Ma,
Nathaniel Rosen and Donald Weilerstein.