OUT OF NEGLECT

'... I find them tremendously exciting.'

Roberto Gerhard's quartets -
with PETER LUNDIN

As a reviewer I must confess to being part of the neglect surrounding Roberto Gerhard's music. Prior to listening to this disc of the two string quartets I had only heard one of his works, the ballet Don Quixote and it left no impression. I was thus a blank page for these quartets, and I find them tremendously exciting. This impression has remained. The first quartet (1950-55) shows the influences on a young composer: Schoenberg in the first movement [listen - track 1, 0:00 - 1:00] as well as the Bartokian dancing pizzicati [listen - track 4, 3:45 - 4:30]. Both are striking. The homage to Schoenberg is obvious, for Gerhard studied with him during the Berlin years (1923-28), and had a craftsman's knowledge in using the constructive techniques Schoenbergians left to the musical world. Gerhard pieces together his chosen elements, whether they be rhythmic, 12 note series or hexachords, in a way that always reveals a propulsive purpose. To me this first quartet harvests European quartet writing up to the fifties; and if you listen carefully you might discern where the quartet is heading.

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