Woldemar Bargiel - String Quartet No. 4, Op. 47 (1888)

Woldemar Bargiel (3 October 1828 – 23 February 1897) was a German composer and educator. He was the younger maternal half-brother of Clara Schumann.

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String Quartet No. 4 in D minor, Op. 47 (1888)

1. Molto moderato ma passionato (0:00)
2. Andante (8:31)
3. Allegro energico, impetuoso (15:56)
4. Allegro ma non troppo - Più allegro - Andante - Allegro molto (22:10)

Orpheus Quartet

Details by Edition Silvertrust:
Bargiel’s String Quartet No.4 in d minor, Op.47 came nearly four decades after No.3. It dates from 1888. It shows that Bargiel had moved along, as one might have hoped after 40 years, as it is not infused with the perfume of Schumann and Mendelssohn that one finds in No.3. Though still very romantic, it shows that he had been influenced to some extent by the late quartets of Beethoven. And unlike so many other quartets from the 1880s,, there is nothing of Brahms which one so often finds in those works. The opening movement, Molto moderato ma passionate, oscillates between lyrical and dramatic turbulence. The second movement, Andante, has a warm, valedictory melody for its main theme. Here the influence of late Beethoven is evident. The third movement, Allegro energico, impetuoso, serves as scherzo and is mostly dominated by its rhythm. The execution is so good that, one does not mind the absence of fetching melody, as in similar Beethovian movements. The main subject of the finale, Allegro ma non troppo is based on a triplet figure and is passed from voice to voice, rather quietly. Slowly, drama and excitement are built up.

Woldemar Bargiel (1828-97) was Clara Schumann’s half brother. Throughout their lives, they enjoyed a warm relationship and thanks to Clara, Bargiel was introduced to both Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn who encouraged him to study at the famous Leipzig Conservatory with two of the leading men of music: Ignaz Moscheles (piano) and Niels Gade (composition). Bargiel held positions at the conservatories in Cologne and Rotterdam before accepting a position at the prestigious Hochschule fur Musik in Berlin where he taught for the rest of his life. Among his many students were Paul Juon and Leopold Godowsky. While Bargiel did not write a lot of music, most of what he composed was well thought out and shows solid musical craftsmanship. His chamber music—he wrote four string quartets, a string octet and three piano trios—represents an important part of his output.