The Huddersfield Music Club (Founded in 1918 by Dr. Eaglefield Hull) Presents A SERIES OF SIX CONCERTS for the Thirty-first Season 1948-49 to be given in the HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD on WEDNESDAY EVENINGS at 7-30 p.m. 16 Committee President A. L. Woodhead, Esq., M.A., J.P. Vice-President A. G. CROWTHER MRS. S. H. CROWTHER S. H. CROWTHER E. GLENDINNING MISS Z. E. HULL F. RowCLIFFE Hon. Secretaries bebabs V MRS. A. E. HULL, 48, New North Road. Tel. 1094 STANLEY G. WATSON, 342, New HEY Rd., Tel. 1706 Hon. Treasurer-F. W. GADSBY, 222, Almondbury Bank. Tel. 2763. Ladies' Committee Chairman-MRS. S. H. CROWTHER MRS. H. AINLEY MRS. BRANSOM MISS K. EVANS MRS. E. FENNER MISS FREEMAN, J.P. MRS. H. S. HAIGH MRS. D. HIRST MRS. A. E. HORSFALL MRS. A. E, HULL J. Stancliffe Ellis, Esq. MISS A. SHAW MRS. I. SILVERWOOD I. SILVERWOOD J. TROLLER MRS. S. G. WATSON D. R. H. WILLIAMS MISS Z. E. HULL MRS. G. G. JARMAIN MRS. A. W. KAYE MRS. J. LEE MRS. M. M. SAYER MRS. I. SILVERWOOD MRS. P. SYKES MISS TOWNSEND Miss E. WHITWAM Hon. Secretary--Miss A. SHAW Hon. Treasurer-MRS. S. G. WATSON THE CLUB IS OPEN TO EVERYONE Important Please see back page

Wednesday, October 13th, 1948 First Concert Denis Matthews Piano Recital Preludes and Fugues (from the '48') (Bach) Sonata in D Op, 28 (Beethoven) Four Impromptus Op. 90 (Schubert) Bagatelles for piano (Alan Rawsthorne) Preludes (Debussy) Wednesday, November 17th, 1948 Second Concert The New Italian String Quartet Quartet in D major (K 155) (Mozart) Quartet in B flat major Op. 130 (Beethoven) Quartet in E minor (Verdi) Wednesday, December 1st, 1948 Third Concert Kathleen Ferrier Song Recital At the piano: PHYLLIS SPURR Songs by Bach, Handel, Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, Stanford, Warlock and Britten.

Wednesday, January 12th, 1949 Christmas Holiday Concert Aleksandr Helmann Fourth Concert Piano Recital Italian Concerto (Bach) Fantasy in D minor (Mozart) Sonata in B minor Op. 58 (Chopin) and works by Ravel, Hindemith, Poulenc and Liszt. Wednesday, February 9th, 1949 Fifth Concert The Blech String Quartet Wednesday, March 23rd, 1949 Quartet in B minor Op. 33 No. 1 (Haydn) Quartet in C minor Op. 18 No. 4 (Beethoven) Quartet in A minor (Walton) Sixth Concert. Pierre Fournier Cello Recital At the piano: ERNEST LUSH (Programme will be announced later) P.T.O.

THE CLUB IS OPEN TO EVERYONE Subscriptions and Tickets. The Subscription for the SEASON is 30/-. Season tickets may be obtained from the Hon. Secretaries, or from Messrs. J. Wood & Sons, Ltd., 67, New Street; Messrs. Whitfield's Ltd., Ramsden Street or Messrs. Kenneth Levell Ltd., Market Street. Students' Tickets (2/6 each Concert) available to bona-fide Students under 18 years of age only, may be obtained on application in advance to Mrs. Hull, and will not be sold at the door. If you were a subscriber last season . . . Ticket(s) for the coming season are enclosed herewith; and it is requested that the appropriate subscription be forwarded to the Hon. Treasurer before the date of the First Concert. In the event of any of the tickets not being required this year, they should be returned to Mrs. Hull not later than October 2nd, after which date it will be assumed that they will be retained and paid for. If you were not a subscriber last season, will you please write as early as possible to either of the Hon. Secretaries stating the number of season tickets required. Subscribers will doubtless share the gratification of the Committee that, after several years of enforced absence, the Club has been able to return to the HIGHFIELD HALL, with which it has had the happiest associations. The Hall, which is approximately the same distance from the centre of the town as St. Patrick's Hall, is situated in Highfield Road (the first turning to the right after Huddersfield College, proceding up New North Road from town). The West Vale trolley buses (Route 30) and the Halifax motor buses both stop within a few yards of the door. COFFEE will be served during the interval at a nominal charge in a room adjoining the Concert Hall. Subscribers are recommended to occupy their seats not later than 7-15 p.m. The Committee will be grateful if you will kindly complete and forward the enclosed stamped POSTCARD to any friend not already a subscriber. Free Car Parking facilities under British Legion supervision will be available.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) President HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13th, 1948 AT 7-30 P.M. DENIS MATTHEWS Piano Recital PROGRAMME PRICE SIXPENCE do 2

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music Club. I Preludes and Fugues (from the '48') Bach (1685-1750) i. D major (Bk. II) ii. C minor (Bk. I) iii. E flat minor (Bk. I) iv. E flat major (Bk. II) The Well-tempered Clavichord (the "48") consists of two books, each containing 24 preludes and fugues, one in each major and minor key of the twelve-note scale. This is the first major work for a keyed instrument in which all the keys of the scale are used. On the old keyed instruments some of the scales could be played in perfect tune, but others were impossibly out of tune. By the 16th century the problem had become acute and the best solution seemed to be to tune the notes of the scale-or to "temper" them- in such a way that, though not absolutely true in any one key, all keys sounded reasonably correct. The two parts of the "48" belong to widely different periods. The first was finished in Cöthen in 1722. The second part, which Bach called "Twenty-four new preludes and fugues," was completed in 1744. In both books it is apparent that there are pieces written at various periods, some obviously dating from the composer's early years, and others are revised versions of earlier works. The bulk of them have clearly been written with the clavichord rather than the clavicembalo in mind. The "48" was compiled primarily as teaching pieces for Bach's sons and pupils. It was not published till 1800. Beethoven, when a boy, studied the Well-tempered Clavichord, and in later years he used to call it his musical Bible. Sonata in D major, Op. 28. (Pastorale.) Allegro Andante Scherzo and Trio Rondo: Allegro ma non troppo The Sonata Op. 28 was written in 1801, when Beethoven had reached the full development of his powers as virtuoso and composer; when he "was yet of and for this world," self- confident and happy, his life, as yet, unclouded. Of the great piano sonatas still to come, only four, of which the Pastorale is one, are in four movements. The Pastorale follows the group of fantasia-sonatas; works in which Beethoven had perceived that the develop- ment of piano composition required freedom from the strictly symphonic style and a return to a controlled improvisation if the expressive powers of the piano were to be realized to the full. Beethoven (1770-1827) The title "Pastorale," given by the publisher Cranz, partially expresses this Sonata- this "rich and subtle composition," as Tovey describes it. It is reflective and thoughtful, full of dreams; its humour is not the "racy of the soil" type. The first movement has been described as a mood of restful content, which the andante, in the minor key, does nothing to disturb; the scherzo gives the first mood of cheerfulness. The finale is, in effect, a display of virtuosity.

Four Impromptus Op. 90. i. Allegro molto moderato (C minor) iii. Andante (G flat major) ii. Allego (E flat major) iv. Allegretto (A flat major) The term "impromptu" was originally given to an extempory piece. Later, when applied to written compositions, it was used as a title for those works which had the characteristics of extemporary compositions. These Impromptus of Schubert were certainly not called by that name by the composer, which was added by the publishers, Haslingers, who also changed the key of the third piece from G flat to G. Schubert wrote two sets of four pieces each, all curiously enough in flat keys. No two are alike, though all are of sufficient length and importance to form a sonata movement. Indeed Schumann considered that the first three pieces of the second set (Op. 142) were indeed the first three movements of a sonata in F minor. The four pieces forming Op. 90 were probably written in 1827. The first has a ballad- like opening, but resolves itself into variations upon two themes. So intermingled are the major and minor modes (a dominating characteristic of Schubert's music) and so constant the triplet movement that "the listener's sense of tonality is lulled." The second, too, is full of changing tonalities; it is surely one which suited Schubert's own style of playing to perfection. The third is pastoral in character, tranquil and placid. The fourth opens in A flat minor and closes in the major key; in form it is really a contrasted scherzo and trio. Schubert (1797-1828) Coffee Interval of 15 minutes Preludes VII Bagatelles for piano (1938). Allegro Allegretto Mr. Matthews has kindly supplied the following note: "Though miniatures, their musical content is far from slight. Each of the four pieces presents the same subject in a different character rhythm, thus giving a perfect sense of unity. The piano writing is as clear cut as the thought behind it." i. Ce qu'on vu le vent de l'ouest ii. La fille aux cheveux de lin iii. La Sérénade interrompue Alan Rawsthorne (b. 1905) Debussy (1862-1918) iv. La Cathédral engloutie La Danse de Puck vi. Minstrels In his book "Studies in Musical Interpretation" Cortot remarks: "Each of his (Debussy's) preludes has its own atmosphere: no more than those of Chopin can any one of them be brought into line with a classic form." Like Chopin, Debussy wrote twenty-four preludes, which are divided into two books of twelve each. The first volume, of which these preludes form the last six, was written in 1910. The second book is dated 1913. But unlike Chopin, Debussy gave a descriptive title to each prelude, and, in reality, they are definite musical pictures. Presto non assai Lento V.

The first is a sea picture; "all the horror of tempest and shipwreck is evoked here." Of the second Cortot remarks that Debussy adored Scottish folk lore and that this interest is reflected in this prelude; it must be the portrait of "the lass with the lint-white locks." The third is the picture of a Spanish lover serenading his lady; at the end, her window closes with a bang. The well-known fourth depicts the legendary cathedral of Ys, submerged under the waves. The rhythmic dance of Puck, with Oberon's love-call, is the fifth prelude. Minstrels, too, explain itself, with the comic singer coming on the stage and amusing his audience with his songs and capers. Denis Matthews was born at Coventry in 1919. He studied under Harold Craxton at the R.A.M. where he won the Thalberg scholarship in 1935. During this period he also devoted himself to composition. Latterly he has confined himself to concert work and occasional talks on musical subjects. His first London appearance was in 1939, since then he has played concertos with the leading orchestras and conductors in the country. He joined the R.A.F. in 1940 and during his six years of service he became attached to the R.A.F. Orchestra, appearing as solo pianist on their visits to the United States and Germany, as well as giving hundreds of concerts for troops in this country. He prefers to play the classics, especially Beethoven, but his repertoire is wide enough to include works by Bloch, Barber, Bartok and Alan Rawsthorne. Huddersfield Music Club, Highfield Hall, New North Road. Wednesday Evenings at 7-30. November 17th The New Italian String Quartet Quartet in D major (K, 155) Mozart Quartet in B flat major Op. 130. Beethoven Quartet in E minor. Verdi Kathleen Ferrier (Song Recital) Alexsandr Helmann (Piano Recital) Dec. 1st Jan. 12th Feb. 9th The Blech String Quartet Mar. 23rd Pierre Fournier (cello) with Ernest Lush Single Tickets 6/6 from the Hon. Secretaries, J. Wood & Sons, K. Levell Ltd., Whitfield's and at the door.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. President (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17th, 1948 AT 7-30 P.M. THE NEW ITALIAN STRING QUARTET PAOLO BORCIANI ELISA PEGREFFI PIERO FARULLI FRANCO ROSSI 100 PROGRAMME PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music Club. I Quartet in D major (K. 155) Allegro moderato Andante Allegro molto (First performance at these Concerts) none. Mozart's earliest quartets date from 1772. Between then and 1774 he wrote fifteen. The first three (K. 136-138) are described on the manuscript as "divertimenti"; this is not a true description as divertimenti should have two minuets each and these have These three youthful works are, moreover, not chamber music, as we understand it; they are rather symphonies in miniature. The six quartets K. 155-160 were all written towards the end of 1772, either on Mozart's journey to Milan (his third visit to Italy) or during his stay there. These are his first true string quartets, and they show what an enormous advance as a composer of quartets Mozart had made in so short a space of time. The treatment of the instruments is no longer symphonic in style, but each has an equality of interest and an independence which is altogether new. It was not until the quartets of 1773 that Mozart shows the influence of Haydn. The earlier quartets (including K. 155) are purely Italian in style and were probably written under the influence of Giambattista Sammartini, the teacher of Gluck, who brought to Italian instrumental music a great contribution of "freedom, freshness, spontaneity, the finest folk-quality, the buffo and the sensitive-sometimes, too, the shallow and the noisy" (Einstein). Quartet in B flat major Op. 130 II Adagio ma non troppo-Allegro Presto Mozart (1756-1791) Andante con moto ma non troppo Alla danz tedesca : Allegro assai Cavatina: Adagio molto espressivo Finale: Allegro Beethoven (1770-1827) (Last performed in 1937 by the Kolisch Quartet) The years 1824-6 saw the appearance of Beethoven's last and greatest quartets. These fall into three groups, Op. 135, the closely associated Op. 132, 130 and 131 (including the great Fugue Op. 133), and the final Op. 135. In the two quartets of the first and last groups, Beethoven retained the usual four-movement form, but in the central group the quartet Op. 132 has five, Op. 130 six, and Op. 131 seven movements. In this group Beethoven, as it were, returned to the older form of the Suite, with its many movements, breaking away from the classical quartet form in order to express himself more fully, just as in the late piano sonatas, he abandoned regular sonata form construction to return to the free fantasia.

These three quartets were written almost simultaneously and they have undoubted thematic links. Many consider Op. 130 to be Beethoven's finest quartet, although it was written under most distressing conditions of illness, anxiety and complete deafness. The opening movement makes great use of the Adagio introduction in combination with the first subject; the second subject is of wonderful beauty. Some listeners have compared the movement to a struggle between two instincts-one gently pleading, the other inexorably violent-in the same individual. The Presto (a Scherzo) is humorous and fanciful, the subtle Andante half playful, half tender. A German country dance provides the rhythm of the fourth movement. The Cavatina is the emotional climax of the work and is one of the most supreme things in all music, full of the most noble expressiveness and an almost unearthly serenity. Of it Beethoven said to Hotz, "Never did music of mine make so deep an impression on me, even the remembrance of the emotions it aroused always cost me a tear." Beethoven had intended the "Grosse Fugue" Op. 133, the fugue which is the crown of the whole work and in which the essence of it is to be found, to form the finale of the quartet. But he yielded to the solicitations of his friends and publishers and wrote- his last completed work-a new finale, so exuberant that it is difficult to believe it be the work of a man already stricken with a fatal illness. Specht calls this movement a "defiant Dance of Death." Quartet in E minor Coffee Interval of 15 minutes III Allegro Andantino Prestissimo Scherzo Fuga: Allegro assai mosso (First performance at these Concerts) Verdi (1813-1901) This almost unknown quartet, which does not deserve the neglect into which it has fallen, was Verdi's sole chamber music composition. It was written in Naples in 1873, two years after Aida, one year before the Requiem; the two latest and greatest operas- Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893)-were still to come. That Verdi was not indifferent to chamber music is proved by his correspondence; but, in his day, opera was the most absorbing interest in Italian musical life and Verdi's temperament was, without doubt, naturally dramatic. The quartet is constructed on classical lines. Each of the four movements may be said to represent one of Verdi's tendencies. The first movement is founded on a very dramatic theme, and has, in its vitality, a strong ressemblance to the music of Aida. The Andan- tino is a theme with variations. It is less characteristic of Verdi's opera style; it has a noble coloured by a deal of The movement is a joid scherzo, of a dramatic nature, which recalls the styles of Rigoletto and Traviata. The ovation. Scherzo-fuga is perhaps the finest movement. It foreshadows the Verdi of Falstaff, and the dawn of a fresh, new type of Italian music. The form is that of a fugue, very freely interpreted. When the New Italian Quartet was formed, four young instrumentalists voluntarily relinquished what appeared to be certain brilliant solo careers in order to devote their lives to chamber music. Their work was interrupted by the war, but immediately hostilities ceased they resumed intensive study and concert-giving. They are rapidly gaining a world-wide reputation as one of the finest international ensembles.

Huddersfield Music Club, Highfield Hall, New North Road. Wednesday Evenings at 7-30. December 1st Kathleen Ferrier Song Recital At the Piano PHYLLIS SPURR Songs by Bach, Handel, Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, Stanford, Warlock and Britten Jan. 12th Alexsandr Helmann (Piano Recital) Feb. 9th The Blech String Quartet Mar. 23rd Pierre Fournier (cello) with Ernest Lush Single Tickets 6/6 from the Hon. Secretaries, J. Wood & Sons, K. Levell Ltd., Whitfield's and at the door.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) President HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1st, 1948 AT 7-30 P.M. KATHLEEN FERRIER At the Piano SONG RECITAL PHYLLIS SPURR PROGRAMME PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music Club. I Prepare thyself, Zion (Christmas Oratorio) Come to me, soothing Sleep Have you seen but a whyte lily grow. Pack, clouds, away. Gratchen am Spinnrade Wanderers Nacht Lied Der Musensohn Erster Verlust Erlkönig II Bach (1685-1750) Handel (1685-1759) Anon (c. 1600) arr. Grew Handel (1685-1759) Schubert 1795-1828 (All the poems are by Goethe). 44 A note on Lieder. The term Lieder (lit. songs) is applied to a particular type of German song, as cultivated especially by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Strauss and others. It is generally agreed that Schubert's Lieder are the greatest of them all. To quote from "Grove": "Full of poetry himself, he could enter into the very heart and mind of the poet; and so wide was his range of sympathetic intuition that he took songs from all the great German poets, and as their styles varied, so did his treatment... Beauty and finish are bestowed with so even a hand, both on the voice-part and the accompaniment, that it would be difficult to say that either takes precedence of the other. 'Gretchen am Spinnrade" was written in 1814, when Schubert was only 19; it is his first masterpiece and like no song which had ever been written before. "Der Musensohn" is the first of a fresh group of Goethe songs, written in 1822. The remaining three all date from 1815. "All the best tendencies of the 19th century were summed up in the songs of Brahms. The perfection of formal structure, the high distinction of melody, the beauty and fitness of the accompaniments, the depth of thought and throughout the ring of truth and sincerity place his songs among the immortal works of the great classical masters" (Grove). A change came into Lieder with Wolf, whose songs were his greatest works. With him the words became of primary importance; expression, and not necessarily beauty, was his ideal; declamatory passages often replace the melodic line. In his own way, he penetrates just as deeply into the poet's thought. Wolf's songs have an unequalled exquisiteness of finish; every note and every nuance is exactly and precisely placed. The richness and intricacy of his accompaniments should be noted; in effect, the singer and the pianist are equal partners in the interpretation of the poem. Coffee Interval of 15 minutes

Liebestreu Sapphische Ode Der Gärtner Auf ein altes Bild Auf einer Wanderung III (Reinick) (Hans Schmidt) (All the poems are by Mörike). IV The Fairy Lough Pretty ring time The Flower Song (Rape of Lucretia) The Ashgrove Oliver Cromwell Brahms 1833-1897) Wolf (1860-1903) Stanford (1852-1924) Warlock (1894-1930) Britten (b. 1913) arr. Britten Kathleen Ferrier, like many other famous singers, was born in the North of England. She began her musical career as a pianist and accompanist. For a wager she entered her name in the contralto class at a Northern competition festival in which she was also competing as a pianist. She won the first prize in both classes, and in addition, was awarded the Rose Bowl for the best singer of the year. She first studied singing with Dr. Hutchinson (Newcastle). Later she moved to London, where she continued her studies under Roy Henderson. Benjamin Britten had Kathleen Ferrier in mind when he composed his second opera "The Rape of Lucretia," and she won high praise for her moving interpretation in the title role. Bruno Walter invited Kathleen Ferrier to sing in Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" under his direction at the 1947 Edinburgh Festival, and was so impressed by her performance that she has since sung this work in America with him and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Huddersfield Music Club, Highfield Hall, New North Road. Wednesday Evenings at 7-30. January 12th Christmas Holiday Concert Alexsandr Helmann Italian Concerto Fantasy in D minor (K. 395) Sonata in B Minor (Op. 58) Ondine; Jeux d'eaux; Toccata Interludium and Fugue Trois movements perpetuels La Campanella Bach Mozart Chopin Ravel Hindemith Poulenc Liszt Feb. 9th The Blech String Quartet Mar. 12th Pierre Fournier (cello) with Ernest Lush Single Tickets 6/6 from the Hon. Secretaries, J. Wood & Sons. K. Levell Ltd., Whitfield's and at the door.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) President HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12th, 1949 AT 7-30 P.M. ALEXANDR HELMANN PIANO RECITAL 100 PROGRAMME PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music Club. Italian Concerto I Allegro Andante Presto (Last performed on the harpsichord in 1946 by Millicent Silver). At to-night's recital Mr. Helmann is playing the Italian Concerto according to a printer's proof copy in the British Museum with corrections in Bach's own hand. Fantasy in D minor (K.397) Sonata in B minor Op. 58 Bach (1685-1750) The Italian Concerto is one of the few clavier works published in Bach's lifetime. It appeared in 1735 (Concerto nach Italiänischem Gusto) as part of the second volume of the Klavierübung-works written for the clavicembalo, an instrument with two keyboards, a pedal board and a manual coupler, and whose strings were plucked by a quill or metal pin. In its early application the term "concerto" was not applied to a definite form but was a composition in parts, either vocal or instrumental. Tortelli (d. 1708) is regarded as the inventor, and it must be recalled how familiar Bach was with the School of Italian violinists. The development of the concerto runs parallel with that of the sonata, and indeed the earlier examples of the two often differ only in name. In reality, Bach's Italian Concerto is much closer to the modern conception of the sonata than the so-called 'sonatas" of Scarlatti. By Bach's time, the concerto had become a purely instrumental form, and the use of a clavier with two manuals enabled the composer to obtain the effects of contrast between the solo and the tutti. The Italian concerto is one of the few works of Bach which met with instant appreciation. The principal theme of the Allegro is derived from the last movement of a "symphony" in Muffat's Florilegium primum (1695). The style of the Andante most reflects the "Italian taste." It gives the impression, heightened by the extended cantilena, of a violin solo accompanied by a string orchestra. The lively Presto is elaborately con- structed with many devices of polyphony. Allegro maestoso Scherzo molto vivace Mozart (1756-1791) Chopin (1810-1849) Largo Finale: presto non tanto (Last performed in 1936 by Edith Walton) Chopin wrote three piano sonatas. The first (C minor) dates from 1828 but it was not published till after his death; the second (B flat minor with the Funeral March) appeared in 1840; the third (B minor) was composed in 1844. Of the second sonata Schumann fancifully remarked that Chopin had bound four of his maddest children together and entitled them sonata. The movements of the third sonata too have little unity, but against that can be placed the independence and unconventionality of Chopin's musical imagination, the poetry of his genius and the richness of his inspiration. Indeed, according to one authority, the composer found it difficult to keep the profusion of his thought within due bounds.

The The first movement is perhaps the most important of the four. It has a bold and virile opening, which is elaborated and extended to some length before the appearance of the cantilena, which Huneker called "an aubade, a Nocturne of the morn. There is a morning freshness in its hue and scent, and when it bursts, a parterre of roses." graceful figure, which opens the Scherzo, Huneker says is "light as a harebell in the soft breeze"; the trio is quiet and sustained. The Largo is a nocturne in all but name; Niecks calls it a reverie rather than a composition. After eight powerful bars, the Finale opens with its agitated theme. This recurs three times in varying forms, the links being brilliant and elaborate passages. It has been said that this movement is one of the most difficult of all Chopin's works to play. Coffee interval of 15 minutes II Ondine Jeux d'eau Toccata Interludium and Fugue Nos. 6 and 5 Hindemith (b. 1895) Ludus Tonalis consists of twelve piano fugues in as many keys, connected by interludes in free lyric and dance forms, new and old, and framed by a Prelude and a Postlude that have more in common than meets the casual eye. The quality of the music is such as to please even the not too deeply searching listener, and the pianist will find in the variety of textures a source of technical as well as musical enjoyment. The more curious enquirer will profit by the direction Bach gave to readers of some Canons in his Musical offering: "Seek and ye shall find." For beneath the disarming surface of the music are hidden many recondite devices of the contrapuntist's art such as have been the delight of musicians through the centuries. (Note by the publishers, Associated Music Publishers, New York.) (From the Ludus Tonalis, 1943) Trois Mouvements perpetuels La Campanella Ravel (1875-1937) Poulenc (b. 1899) Liszt (1811-1886) Helmann is one of the few pianists who have, in maturity, fulfilled the early promise shown as a child prodigy. Born in Russia in 1912, he had already given many concerts in Europe when his family settled in the United States in 1923. He left the concert platform for some years, returning to make a brilliant debut in New York in 1931. From 1934-39 Helmann's concert activities in Europe won him recognition as one of the most outstanding pianists of his day. During the war he gave many recitals for the Allied forces. Helmann's repertoire is unusually wide and includes many forgotten or un- published compositions of the 17th and 18th centuries. A composer himself, he usually includes in his programmes some outstanding contemporary work. (Flowers arranged by Blackburn's, Victoria Lane).

The Huddersfield Music Club, Highfield Hall, New North Road. Wednesday Evenings at 7-30. February 9th The Blech String Quartet Quartet in D major Op. 33 No, 1 Quartet in C minor Op. 18 No. 4 Quartet in A minor Haydn Beethoven William Walton Mar. 12th Pierre Fournier (cello) with Ernest Lush Single Tickets 6/6 from the Hon. Secretaries, J. Wood & Sons, K. Levell Ltd.,. Whitfield's and at the door.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) President HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9th, 1949 AT 7-30 P.M. THE BLECH STRING HARRY BLECH (Violin) LIONEL BENTLEY (Violin) PROGRAMME QUARTET KEITH CUMMINGS (Viola) DOUGLAS CAMERON (Cello) PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music C.ub. I Quartet in D major. Op. 33. No. 1. Allegro moderato Scherzando: allegro Andante Presto (First performance at these Concerts) The six quartets, Op. 33, were dedicated to the Grand Duke Paul of Russia, and were therefore known as the Russian quartets. They are also called Gli Scherzi, as in this set Haydn gave the name Scherzo to the minuet movement; a third title is the Virgin quartets. They date from 1781 and are written, as Haydn said, "in an entirely new and particular manner." In contrast to the older style, Haydn now gave the main musical importance to thematic development, with its use of modulation; in consequence, each instrument has an equal share in the whole. Even the "accompanying parts" are based on motives taken from the subjects. Haydn (1732-1809) The first movement of the quartet No. 1, though short, is in sonata form. The Scherzo is a minuet and trio in all but name; the finale is a rondo. Geiringer sums up the im- pression in a few words: "The contents of these quartets display grace and liveliness together with depth of feeling; the quiet serenity and simple greatness of the classical style are to be found in them." ナナ II Quartet in C minor Op. 18 No. 4. Allegro ma non tanto Scherzo: andante scherzoso quasi allegretto Menuetto and Trio Allegro Beethoven (1770-1827) (Last performed in 1925 by the London String Quartet) The six quartets forming Op. 18 were written 1800-1. Apart from an early string quintet (Op. 4) and three string trios, these were Beethoven's first works for strings not in com- bination with other instruments. Beethoven was, in his early years, a virtuoso of the piano and his early preoccupation was with piano music. These quartets therefore mark the commencement of the only type of chamber music which kept his attention to the last, and which were to lead to the five last quartets, which "represent the coping-stone of his whole life's work. Chamber music for strings alone is, indeed, the very heart and kernel of Beethoven's creative work" (Bekker). All the quartets of Op. 18 are written in major keys with the exception of No. 4. All, with the one exception, are gay and joyful. Some authorities think that No. 4 was written later than the other five and that the choice of key is significant-a key which Beethoven used so frequently up to 1808 (5th Symphony) and then never again till 1821 (Op. III). Bekker feels in this quartet "a sense of gnawing inner dissatisfaction, a desire to meet and overcome difficulties, the spur of ambition and the longing for victory." The first movement is in sonata form, the Scherzo, in place of the slow movement, has a fugal opening. Both it and the following minuet movement have the characteristic Beethoven sforzandi. The final rondo has a brilliant coda. Coffee interval of 15 minutes

Quartet in A minor III William Walton (b. 1902) Alegro assai Presto Lento Allegro molto (First performance at these Concerts) William Walton's string quartet in A minor was first performed in May, 1947 in the B.B.C. Third Programme. Considerable interest was aroused by this new work, for it was Walton's first major composition since the Violin Concerto of 1939. During the war years Walton had written a few smaller pieces, but mostly he was engaged on film music. In addition, this quartet is his first mature chamber music composition (an earlier string quartet written about 25 years ago is now disowned), while his piano quartet is also a very early work. The composition of this quartet occupied the best part of a year, being completed in the early Spring of 1947. It is of interest to note that the slow movement was the first move- ment to be written, and that the themes of this movement and of two other movements were invented in one day. The balance of the whole work is clear, since the first and third (slow) movements are on an extended scale, while flanking these are the deliberately light-weight second (scherzo) and fourth movements. The key of the work is strongly A minor, with the slow movement in F major. Just as its key scheme presents no problem, so the music is a straight-forward piece of quartet writing, with no tricks or outré devices. First movement. The expressive and long first subject is stated by the viola with a counter-melody, in rather quicker motion, on the second violin. A più mosso section, strongly rhythmic and rather angular, introduces the second subject. The first subject, after its return, is treated fugally in diminution. - Second movement. A scherzo in rapid 3/8 time, with a certain amount of syncopation. The music is somewhat comparable to the scherzo of Walton's Symphony. Third movement. This unreservedly romantic slow movement is perhaps the most impressive of the whole work, and it certainly must rate high among all Walton's writing. Again, as in the first movement, the viola is given the opening theme, against suspended chords in the other strings. It is taken up by first violin and viola in octaves, and a high passage for first violin alone leads into the second subject-a long soaring tune once more for the viola with very simple pizzicato accompaniment on the cello. On recapit- ulation the first Subject is played by the cello in its high register, the second subject by the first violin. Fourth movement.-A rondo with strongly accented rhythms, both on and off beats. A gentler legato subject is introduced by the second violin, but is only briefly treated. The pungent rhythms of the opening return and are maintained to the end. (Copyright by the Oxford University Press). The Blech String Quartet Harry Blech was born in London in 1910. He studied in London, Manchester and Prague. He started performing in public at the age of 13. In 1936 he left the B B.C. Symphony Orchestra in order to devote himself to the Blech String Quartet. Lionel Bentley was born in London 1908. After study in London he, too, played with the B.B.C. orchestra which he left to join the quartet. Keith Cummings was born in Australia in 1907. He studied at the Manchester Royal College of Music and later joined the Halle Orchestra. He became a member of the quartet in 1940. Douglas Cameron was born in Dundee. He studied at the R.A.M., London, where he has been a Professor and a Fellow for many years. (Flowers supplied by Blackburns, Victoria Lane)

The Huddersfield Music Club, Highfield Hall, New North Road. Wednesday Evening at 7-30. March 23rd. Last concert of the Season Pierre Fournier Cello Recital At the piano: ERNEST LUSH. Suite No. 6 in D major Sonata in D major. Op. 102, No. 2. Introduction and Polonaise Brillante, Op. 3 Sonata Vocalise Zapateado Bach Beethoven Chopin Debussy Rachmaninoff Sarasate Single Tickets 6/6 from the Hon. Secretaries, J. Wood & Sons, K. Levell Ltd., Whitfield Ltd. and at the door.

THE HUDDERSFIELD MUSIC CLUB A. L. WOODHEAD, Esq., M.A., J.P. (In association with the ARTS COUNCIL OF GREAT BRITAIN) President HIGHFIELD HALL, NEW NORTH ROAD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23rd, 1949 AT 7-30 P.M. PIERRE FOURNIER (Cello) with ERNEST LUSH (Piano) 100 PROGRAMME PRICE SIXPENCE

PROGRAMME The analytical notes in this programme are the copyright of the Huddersfield Music Club. Suite No. 6 in D major. Prelude Sarabande Gavotte I and II Gigue (First performance at these Concerts). Bach wrote six Suites for solo cello. They date from his Cöthen period (1717-1723). Spitta remarks that, compared to the passionate fire and warmth of the Suites and Sonatas for solo violin, those for the cello are "softened down to a quiet beauty and a generally serene grandeur." Bach (1685-1750) The sixth suite of the set was originally written for the viola pomposa, an instrument invented by Bach, in size between a viola and a cello, and having five strings (an E string added above the A). Spitta considers that the use of such a sonorous and flexible instrument would, in part, prove an inspiration for this work with its "remarkable and quite unique beauty." II Sonata in D major, Op. 102 No. 2 Allegro con brio Adagio con molto sentimento d'affetto Allegro fugato (First performance at these Concerts). Beethoven (1770-1827) The two cello Sonatas of Op. 102 were written in 1815, a year which, apart from these, saw only the composition of some vocal works and the commencement of the piano Sonata Op. 101. This break in Beethoven's creative work is not surprising. 1814 was the culminating year of his prosperity and worldly successes. A crushing series of misfortunes followed; his brother's death, family disputes, the law suits, the final aband- onment of his hopes of marriage, real need of money, his increasing deafness and chronic ill-health-all combined to form a crushing and lasting burden. D'Indy has called the period 1815-27 "the years of reflection." "Far from abandoning himself to despair, far fom wishing to have done with a wretched life which no longer offers any external attractions, he turns inward to his own soul-so he comes to lead a purely inward life, contemplative, almost monastic, but how intense and productive!" The comparative emptiness of the transitional years 1815-18 needs no further explanation. The problem of the duo Sonata has always been great. Bekker regards the solution employed in the two Sonatas Op. 102 as an attempt to translate the "fantasia sonata" of the piano into a similar work for two solo instruments; thus the duo sonata tends to lose its concerto style, sacrificing thereby some of its graces, and assumes the character of an intimate dialogue, with an increased range of thought and expression. The D Major Sonata opens with great energy; the adagio is tender and melancholy; the final fugue, which seems prophetic of the fugue of Op. 106, returns to "a mood of exalted confidence."

Introduction and Polonaise Brillante, Op. 3. III Chopin (1810-1849) The Polonaise was written in 1829; the Introduction was added the following year. Chopin himself wrote: "It is nothing more than a brilliant salon piece. Most people would agree that he underestimated a sparkling and pleasing composition. The Intro- duction is more characteristic of Chopin's mature style, though the piano part shows traces of Hummel's influence; the cello has graceful cantilene. French cellist and friend of Chopin, wrote a revised version, but the original form is to be played to-night. Franchomme, the Sonata (First performance at these Concerts). Vocalize Rondo Zapateado Interval of 15 minutes IV Prologue Serenade Finale Debussy (1862-1918) (First performance at these concerts). Debussy wrote one Sonata only for the cello and piano. In his last years he had planned to write "Six Sonatas pour divers instruments, par Claude Debussy, musicien français." Only three of the six were completed: the Sonata for cello and piano (1915), for flute, and harp (1916) and for violin and piano (1916-17). The cello Sonata was suggested by Italian comedy and was to have been called "Pierrot fâché avec la lune." The short first movement is declamatory in style. The second movement has a kind of humour; the cello imitates the mandoline. The third movement, which is linked to the second, has a folk-song flavour. V Rachmaninoff (1873-1934) Dvořák (1841-1904) Sarasate (1844-1908) PIERRE FOURNIER was born in France in 1906. A teacher at the Paris National Conserv- atoire, he has played in all the leading musical centres in Europe and America. His repertoire includes all the concertos, sonatas and classical, romantic and modern pieces written for the cello, as well as many works by modern composers, some of which are dedicated to him. ERNEST LUSH began his studies when he was 7, and was appointed B.B.C. staff pianist and accompanist at the age of 19. He has accompanied many artists of international fame and given many broadcast recitals, as well as playing concertos under the leading con- ductors. He served in the R.A.F. from 1940 to 1945. (Flowers arranged by Blackburns, Victoria Lane). The The attention of the audience is drawn to the "suggestion's box" at the entrance. Hon. Secretaries will be pleased to receive names and addresses of non-subscribers wishing to have next season's prospectus. Coffee during the interval, price 6d.

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