String Trio, Op.

63 by Ernst Toch; Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello by Bernard Rogers
Review by: Robert Parris
Notes, Second Series, Vol. 15, No. 1 (Dec., 1957), pp. 151-152
Published by: Music Library Association
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solved as avoided by the structuralop-
position of relativelylong solo passages
for each player.This procedure,although
locally effective,is somewhat"schematic,"
and robs the firstmovementof some of
its cumulativeeffect.
In the genuinelylyric slow movement
this procedure works admirably to pro-
duce a beautifullybalanced asymmetric
expressivearc of simple design projected
in a notably rarefiedatmosphere.
The last movement,thanks to rhythmic
and melodic materials of vitality and
subtlety,makes its point very surely. It,
too, is epigrammatic,and relies upon
dynamic structural properties for its
effect,ratherthan exploitinginstrumental
virtuosityor bombast.
Ernest Bloch: Suites for Violoncello
Solo, Nos. 1 and 2. New York:
Broude Brothers, 1957. [7, 11 p.;
$2.00 each]
Mr. Bloch has written two beautiful
pieces in the two Suites, dated 1956. They
are a triumphof unstrainedingenuityap-
plied to simple materialsin the serviceof
a vital expressive intention.The fruitof
experience and observationis everywhere
visible as well as the creative,and above
all urgentlycommunicativespirit.
The fundamentalmaterials of writing
for unaccompanied strings-i.e., broken
chords, barolage, suggested and non-
consecutivepolyphonyare all invoked in
the most characteristicreflectivemanner
without any trace of meretriciousvirtu-
osity. The fabric is highlighted with
declamatorymoments,in which Bloch's
intense diction and the natural disposi-
tion of the instrumentstrikefire,demand-
ing fullestemotionaland technicalrealiza-
tion.No "miniatures"or "costumepieces,"
these.
Suite No. 1 (10 minutes) is in four
movements;I Prelude, II (Allegro), III
Canzona, IV (Allegro). It rests (in C)
squarely on the natural sounds of the
instrumentand is perhaps the more ac-
cessible of the two. Suite No. 2 (in G
minor) is, despite its name, not divided
into movements, and is in all ways
ampler in outline (17 minutes).
They are dedicated to the distinguished
player,Zara Nelsova, and should give all
cellists something really satisfying to
151
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work at. They are not easy, and will
require the same kind of interpretivere-
source as do the Bach Suites-together
with a larger range of sonorities and
expressiveaccents.
William Wordsworth: Scherzo, Op.
42, for Violoncello and Piano. Lon-
don: A. Lengnick; U. S. A.: Mills
Music, New York, 1956. [Score, 8 p.,
and part, 2 p.; $1.25]
A clever,wittypiece,in the statically
chromatic mannerwhichis the resultof
oppositionsof cross-related thirds.The
work,althoughshort,exhauststhe pos-
sibilitiesof the oomposer's diction.Care-
fullyprogrammed, this could make an
effectiveconcertpiece. Its interest, how-
ever,continuesto lie in its detailrather
thanin anyparticular structuralor com-
municative force.
Karl Stamitz: 6 Duos, Op. 19. Violine
& Violoncello. New edition [by]
Wilhelm Altmann. Frankfurt: Li-
tolff; U. S. A.: C. F. Peters, New
York, [n. d.] [Parts, $1.50]
This is a re-edition of six duos by the
younger Stamitz.Theyare in thegalant
mannerand of thesturdyconstruction of
the MannheimSchool, and should be
welcomeadditions, especiallyforthe use
of amateurs, to a sparseliterature.
WILLIAM KLENZ
Ernst Toch: String Trio, Op. 63.
New York: Associated Music Pub-
lishers, 1955. [Min. score, 40 p.,
$2.50; parts, $4.50]
Bernard Rogers: Trio for Violin,
Viola, and Cello. New York: South-
ern Music Publishing Co., 1957.
[Score, 22 p., $2.00; parts, $2.75]
Neo-romantic writingcan be partlyde-
finedas a liftingof the taboos against
elaboratesequences,seventhchords,etc.
These taboos reflecta blind contempt
for traditionalpractices,and a fear of
beinglabeledreactionary on the partof
many contemporary composers.Both
Rogersand Toch, in theirstringtrios,
expresscontempt forsuch artificiallim-
itationsand demonstrate theirconviction
that traditionaldevicescan be handled
withimagination and originality.Aside
fromthisbasic tenet,thesepiecesdiffer
considerably,mostlyin over-allconcep-
tion: the Rogers is idiosyncraticin lean-
ness, rhapsodic introspection,and odd
formal organization (it begins with a
scherzoand ends witha chorale-likecoda,
which, as far as I can determine,has
nothing to do with either the body of
the movementor the piece as a whole),
and leaves the impression of a hyper-
sensitivity-a feelingthat one note played
too loud would cause the hazardously-
balanced structure to come tumbling
down.
The Toch, on the otherhand, is a more
familiarly-builtwork, exuberant and vir-
tuosic,which could easily be programmed
in the place of any large, romanticpiece
fromBrahms to Bartok. The stringwrit-
ing is highlyidiomatic and effective,but
not ferociouslydifficult.
ROBERTPARRIS

KEYBOARD MUSIC
Ingolf Dahl: Quodlibeton American culty,with a pleasant modal flavorwhich
Folk Tunes ("The Fancy Blue Devil's somehow makes it sound very English.
Breakdown"). For 2 pianos, 8 hands. The ConstantinidisGreek Miniatures,
(Ed. Peters, No. 6004.) New York: 44 in all, show a remarkable talent for
C. F. Peters, 1957. [22 p. each, $3.00 the short form,and for settingmelodies
for set of 2 copies] withoriginalityand simplicity.Each min-
Thomas B. Pitfield:Humoresque,for iature is constructedon a melody,which
piano solo. London: Augener, Ltd., is usually brief and of narrow ambitus;
1957. [3 p., 2/6] its shape seems often reminiscent of
Yannis Constantinidis:Greek Minia- Greek folk music, perhaps by an abrupt
tures, for piano, Vols. 1-3. New close of phrase, by asymmetricalphrase
York: RongwenMusic; distr.: Broude pairs, or by occasional Oriental ornamen-
Brothers,1957. [15, 15, 19 p.; $1.75 tation.Also the 7/8 time of several pieces
each] conforms to the favorite Greek asym-
A. Adnan Saygun: Anadolu'dan metricalmeter,even to the 3-2-2pattern.
(From Anatolia), Op. 25, for piano. The melodies have variety,contrastand
New York: SouthernMusic Publish- character, although short and set to a
ing Co., 1957. [14 p., $1.25] minimum accompaniment.The logic of
These works form a unity in their structureand the economyof means are
medium and their employmentof folk- as interestingas the individual harmonic
like themes,althoughthe national flavors style. These miniaturesprogress in diffi-
range from familiar Anglo-Saxon to the cultybut mostare quite easy. They would
Near East. serve well to stretchthe musical world
With Ingolf Dahl one is on familiar of a young American, or even an adult.
ground. His Quodlibet is a delightful Adnan Saygun, Professor of composi-
contrapuntalfrolic spun fromsix tunes: tion at the Ankara State Conservatory,
Boston Fancy, Deep Blue Sea, The Devil's studied in Paris in the late 1920s. In
Dream, The ArkansasTraveler,California addition, he is a renowned specialist in
Joe, and Turkey in the Straw. The con- Turkish folk music. From Anatolia, writ-
trapuntalwritingmakes the most of the ten in 1945, is composed of three pieces,
natural syncopationsof the melodies, re- called Meseli, Zeybek and Halay, of which
sulting in an impelling rhythmicdrive, the latter two are names of popular
which should set audiences to tapping Turkish folk dances. Unfortunately,the
their feet.This is a fineromp for pianists attemptto superimposenative dances on
able to handle worksof mediumdifficulty. a Westernpiano styleseems unsuccessful
Thomas Pitfieldis an English composer here. Rhythmicpatternslack drive, and
whose works are mostly for piano or the dissonances are too various, thereby
small chamber ensembles. He seems to losing character and meaning. This may
prefershort dance formsfor the piano. be a transitionalwork, for his Sonatine,
The Humoresque is a light and liltingly Op. 15, though more French, hangs to-
attractive piece of little technical diffi- getherbetter. BARBARAKRADER

152

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