The Lafayette String Quartet — Progam Notes
Dimitri Shostakovich: Prelude and Fugue No.1 and Prelude and Fugue No.15 from 24 Preludes and Fugues for Piano, Op. 87
arranged for string quartet by Rostislav Dubinsky
Dmitri Shostakovich wrote the Op. 87 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano as a tribute to J.S. Bach. He began the cycle in October, 1950, soon after participating as juror and pianist in a celebration held in Bach's hometown of Leipzig (then located in East Germany) on the occasion of the bicentennial of the composer's death. Conceived as a contemporary response to the Well-Tempered Clavier but making extensive use of Russian folk atmosphere and motifs, the Op. 87 cycle is Shostakovich's largest work for solo piano, and one of the most significant compositions of his maturity. Upon hearing the work, which was finished in the short space of five months, Jean Sibelius was moved to say, "When you listen to this music, the walls of the room seem to burst open and the ceiling seems to rise."
Like many pieces in the cycle, both the prelude and fugue No. 1 unfold in an unhurried, highly lyrical and reflective mood. By contrast, the No. 15 pair is insistently rhythmic, dissonant and dance-like, uniting the Germanic classical tradition with Shostakovich's contemporary and unmistakably Russian personality.
The arrangements for string quartet were prepared by Rostislav Dubinsky, the long-time first violinist for the Borodin Quartet and Shostakovich's friend and colleague.
Notes by Harlow Robinson, the author of Sergei Prokofiev: A Biography.
Felix Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 13
Felix Mendelssohn's String Quartet in A minor, Opus 13, speaks of the connections and timelessness in the realm of music. For the Lafayette, Mendelssohn's quartet exemplifies the strength of tradition — in this case Beethoven — on future generations. Mendelssohn was so inspired by Beethoven's Quartet in the same key, Op. 132 that he endeavoured to write a work completely structured in a similar way. Beethoven completed Op. 132 in 1825 (only two years before Mendelssohn completed his A minor Quartet in 1827) and dedicated the unique third movement to the "Holy Song of Thanks to the Godhead from a convalescent..." The dedication had personal meaning for Beethoven, who had just recovered from a very serious illness. Mendelssohn's four-movement work is built with similar frames as Beethoven's. The introduction presents us immediately with a depth of feeling that permeates the piece. The Finale opens with a dramatic recitativo passage in the first violin in D minor, above tremolo chords - an effect that once again recalls Beethoven's Opus 132. The introduction is reworked as the final coda that brings the Quartet to a unified close.