Paul Juon - String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 5 (1898)

Paul Juon (Russian: Па́вел Фёдорович Юо́н, Pavel Fyodorovich Yuon) (6 March 1872 – 21 August 1940) was a Russian-born Swiss composer. He was born in Moscow, where his father was an insurance official. His parents were Swiss, and he attended a German Primary school in Moscow. In 1889, he entered the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied violin with Jan Hřímalý[1] and composition with Anton Arensky[1] and Sergei Taneyev.[1] He completed his studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, under Woldemar Bargiel.[1] His first (privately) printed works, two Romanzen (lieder) appeared in 1894, the year he began studies with Bargiel. During his time in Berlin he was a composition professor, employed by Joseph Joachim;[1] his students included Hans Chemin-Petit, Werner Richard Heymann, Nikos Skalkottas, Henry Jolles, Pancho Vladigerov, Philipp Jarnach, Heinrich Kaminski, Lauri Ikonen, Max Trapp, Heino Kaski, Yrjö Kilpinen, Gerhart von Westerman, Hans Moltkau, Giannis Konstantinidis, Wilhelm Guttmann, Stefan Wolpe, Nicolas Nabokov and Gunnar Johansen. He retired to Switzerland in 1934, and died in Vevey.

 

String Quartet No. 1 in D major, Op. 5 (1898)

Dedication: The Bohemian Quartet The Niziol Quartet uses a different version from the presented score. A film of Berlin c. 1900 has been inserted to cover different version of 2nd movement.

 

1. Allegro moderato - Poco meno mosso (0:00) 2. Adagio sostenuto (10:14) 3. Scherzo. Molto presto (18:35)

4. Intermezzo. Allegretto (26:54) 5. Finale. Vivacissimo (30:16)

 

Niziol Quartet Zurich: Bartlomiej Niziol & Christopher Whiting, violins; Michel Willi, viola; Alexander Neustroev cello Details by Edition Silvertrust: Juon's First Quartet dates from 1898. It is a huge work--tonally at times approaching the orchestral and in length approaching the symphonic. The opening Allegro moderato has powerful Russian-sounding theme for its first subject. The beautiful and lyrical second theme also is of Russian origin. The broad Adagio sostenuto which follows takes its time, like a slowly flower unfolding in the sun, to reveal the fullness of its extended melody. A happy, energetic Scherzo, molto presto, in the tradition of Taneyev, serves as the middle movement. A gorgeous and highly romantic trio section brings contrast. A brief Intermezzo, in the form of a contrapuntal baroque minuet, is used a "palette cleanser", the theme is Russian. The finale, Vivacissimo, is a rondo, which brings back the main theme of the opening movement only to give it an completely different treatment. A pounding Russian rhythm takes the music in an entirely different and exciting direction.