Recent Researches in American Music

George Whitefield Chadwick (1854–1931) is one of the most important American composers of the second half of the nineteenth century. His five string quartets must be regarded as a major contribution to the repertoire of chamber music in general, but particularly to the corpus of American music after 1870. The first two quartets were written in 1878 and 1879, respectively, while Chadwick was still a student at the Leipzig conservatory. The third quartet, dedicated to the composer Arthur Foote, a colleague and friend of Chadwick's, was finished in 1886.
     As a student Chadwick had already emphasized the importance of a personal familiarity with string instruments for composing. Contact with outstanding performers like the famous Kneisel Quartet provided a further stimulus to Chadwick's chamber music production. Unfortunately, none of the first three quartets was ever printed, although already Chadwick's student works show an astonishing individuality in construction and sonority. However, the practical difficulty of gaining access to the musical texts, which has discouraged performers from playing and experiencing the music, will be solved by this edition, which will make the quartets publicly available for the first time.

Music Sample

Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
    Chadwick as a Chamber Music Composer
    String Quartets Nos. 1–3
    Notes
Plates

String Quartet No. 1 in G Minor
     I.  Allegro con brio
   II.  Andante non troppo lento
 III.  Menuetto: Poco vivace
 IV.  Finale: Allegro ma non troppo

String Quartet No. 2 in C Major
     I.  Andante; Allegro con brio
   II.  Andante espressivo ma non troppo lento
 III.  Scherzo: Allegro risoluto ma moderato
 IV.  Finale: Allegro molto vivace

String Quartet No. 3 in D Major
     I.  Allegro di molto
   II.  Tema con variazioni: Adagio
 III.  Allegretto semplice
 IV.  Finale: Allegro vivace

Critical Report
    Sources
    Editorial Methods
    Critical Notes

George Chadwick's Strings Quartets 4–5 are available in A60 .