Work
String Quartet No. 4
for string quartet
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About
This quartet was dedicated to Henri Verbrugghen and the members of this string quartet, with specific dedications of the second movement to the violinist, David Nichol, the third to second violinist, Jenny Cullen and the fourth to Henri Verbrugghen himself. Though the inscription is missing one can reasonably assume the first movement was dedicated to the cellist, James Messens.
The first two movements are familiar to audiences through Hill's transcription of them as the first two movements of his Symphony in C minor, The Pursuit of Happiness. The Scherzo was composed while Hill was a student in Leipzig and was orchestrated to form part of Symphony NO. 1 and the Finale also exists as a Rondo for cello or violin with piano. The second movement, Adagio ma non troppo, opens with an eight-bar melody in the viola, repeated by the first violin, and shows an English influence, with harmonic suspensions reminiscent of Edward Elgar. This is believed to be the first recording of the complete original work.
Donald Maurice
from Alfred Hill - String Quartets Vol. 2, NAXOS
Dedication note
Dedicated to Henri Verbrugghen, David Nichol, Jenny Cullen and James Messens.
Contents note
I. Allegro
II. Adagio ma non troppo
III. Scherzo
IV. Finale: Rondo
Performance history
Performed by the Dominion Quartet - Yury Gezentsvey (violin), Rosemary Harris (violin), Donald Maurice (viola) and David Chickering (cello), recorded at the Expressions Theatre, Upper Hutt