Lyric Art Quartet: Fredell Lack, violin; George Bennett, violin; Wayne Crouse, viola; Marion Davies, cello; Irene Jacobi, piano; Louise Rood, viola
"My conscious aim," Frederick Jacobi once said, "has been to write music which is clear, definite and concise: I am an anti-obscurantist. I am a great believer in melody; a believer, too, that music should give pleasure and not try to solve philosophical problems. I believe that art and craft have much in common and that art, to be valid, must be more than the manifestation of a passing mode: in short, that there are some eternal values which transcend period and tune."
More informally, he admonished a colleague: "Don't think that everything which sounds complicated is necessarily profound, nor that everything which sounds pleasant is necessarily superficial."
Jacobi's String Quartet No. 3, composed in 1945, and given its first performance that same year in San Francisco, by the Budapest String Quartet, is a shining example of the emergence of the composer's aims. The Quartet, a combination of the formal and the rhapsodic, is a reflection of Jacobi's own personality. He was never confined to a stylistic strait jacket; he followed no particular school, but was an eclectic in the most positive sense of the word. Always aware of the most recent musical developments, he used only that which seemed the best and most expressive.
The Ballade was written for violinist Eudice Shapiro and the composer's wife, Irene Jacobi in 1942. It has been described by the Musical Leader as "a work of unusual beauty and color, somewhat impressionistic in treatment . . . written expertly for both violin and piano . . . (it) should be received with gratitude by the many violinists looking for new, well-written violinistic and effective music." It encompasses a broad sweep, a large range of lyricism—both ardent and tender, yet virtuosic.
A year before writing the Ballade, Jacobi completed another solo work, the Fantasy, for viola and piano. Also a virtuoso piece, in one movement, it was written for violist Louise Rood and Mrs. Jacobi. The Fantasy is an introspective work, darker than the Ballade. There is power and turbulence here, resolving into the composer's inevitable mood of romance and lyricism. A highly compelling and engrossing work, it builds inexorably to a rich and powerful climax. Both compositions are rhapsodic but tightly unified. In each case the composer successfully reveals the qualities of each instrument.
This title, originally issued on the CRI label, is now available as a burn-on-demand CD (CD-R) or download in MP3/320, FLAC or WAV formats. CD-Rs come in a protective sleeve; no print booklet or jewel case included. Full liner notes are accessible via the link above.Frederick Jacobi: Chamber Works
| MP3/320 | $7.99 | |
| FLAC | $7.99 | |
| WAV | $7.99 | |
| CD-R | $7.99 |
A *.pdf of the notes may be accessed here free of charge.
Track Listing
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String Quartet No. 3: I. Allegro ma non troppo
Frederick Jacobi
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String Quartet No. 3: II. Andante espressivo
Frederick Jacobi
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String Quartet No. 3: III. Scherzo: Presto
Frederick Jacobi
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String Quartet No. 3: IV. Allegro ma non troppo
Frederick Jacobi
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Ballade for Violin and Piano
Frederick Jacobi
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Fantasy for Viola and Piano
Frederick Jacobi
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