Discovering Arthur Bliss’s Second String Quartet (1950) Part 3

Excursus 2: The American Premiere: Bliss’s Second String Quartet was given its first United States performance on 21 February 1952 at the Town Hall, 123 West 43^rd Street, New York. The Griller Quartet also included Joseph Haydn’s Quartet in E flat, op.64, no.6 and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Quartet No.15 in a minor, op.132 in the programme. The critic in the New York Times (22 February 1952, p.14) begins by noting that the “Griller Quartet has existed with the same personnel since its birth, twenty-three years ago. This makes it the oldest such organisation still in one piece, and – as one might expect – gives it uncommonly strong cohesiveness and maturity of ensemble spirit.” Turning to the Bliss Quartet, the journalist reminded the readers that “…the English composer, was impressed with the Grillers recently, and wrote his Quartet No.2 for them.” The recital “did the [Bliss] proud.” Musically, they “brought out the blunt, rather old-fashioned sounding dissonances with the same kind of pleasure that Bliss must have enjoyed when he wrote them, and lovingly floated the mellow harmonies that contrasted.” Strangely, the only criticism is that it “is five movements long, which seemed too much – ten minutes fewer would have made one less aware of its outmoded aspects.” As noted above, it is only four movements long.

The reviewer thought that the Haydn was “suavely romantic” and “seemed perfectly matched to the music.” And the Beethoven was a little disappointing but the “performance picked up as it proceeded…” 

Recording: Currently, there are five commercial recordings of Arthur Bliss’s Second String Quartet in the catalogue (See discography below). I do not intend to discuss or compare all these versions.

It is unusual for a new British chamber work to be recorded in the same year that it was premiered. On 29 September 1950, the Griller Quartet entered the Decca studios in West Hampstead to begin work on Bliss’s Second String Quartet. The LP was issued on LPS 299 in February 1951. Bliss’s String Quartet No.1 had been released during June 1943 and issued on K1091-4. Both have been subsequently remastered onto CD.

The Gramophone’s (June 1951, p.8) critic A.R. (Alec Robertson) gave a long and detailed discussion of the new record of the Quartet. Overall, “the Grillers play the difficult music with complete understanding and with a splendid ensemble.” The sound quality has a few issues. The tone of the first violin is “rather wiry at various points in the opening movement,” and the viola “lacks body in the tune given to it after the fugato in the scherzo [and] there is a lack of bite in the pizzicato semiquavers in the slow movement.”   Of importance is the perceived balance between the composer’s “lively wit and zest for life” and a “prevailing sense of disillusionment with the human scene.”  As for the music, “the workmanship…is grand but we can admire here not only the qualities of head but of the heart.” In a personal note, A.R. writes that “I myself should rate this quartet as one of the finest pieces of chamber music that these last years have brought forth.”

Conclusion: On 2 August 1966, the Amici String Quartet broadcast on the BBC Third Programme a performance of the Second String Quartet, as a part of Bliss’s 75^th Birthday Celebrations. The song cycle A Knot of Riddles and the Clarinet Quintet were also given. (Radio Times, July 1966). In his memoirs As I Remember (Bliss, 1970, 1989, p.186) Bliss reflected on this “splendid performance of this difficult work, and on rehearing it, I captured once again the excitement with which sixteen years previously, I had started work on it.”

Discography:
1. Bliss, Arthur, Second String Quartet, Griller Quartet, Decca LX 3038 (10” mono) 1950, also London LPS 299 LP; London LL 1550, LP; Dutton CDBP 9780 CD (2008)
2. Bliss, Arthur, Second String Quartet, with String Quartet No.1, Delmé Quartet, Hyperion CDA 66178 CD (1989)
3. Bliss, Arthur, Second String Quartet, with String Quartet No.1, Fanny Mendelssohn Quartet, Troubadisc, TRO-CD 01412 CD (1996)
4. Bliss, Arthur, Second String Quartet, with Clarinet Quintet, David Campbell (clarinet) Maggini Quartet, Naxos, 8.557394 (2004)
5. Bliss, Arthur, Second String Quartet, Barbirolli Quartet, Nimbus NI 6165 (2011)

Bibliography:
Bliss, Arthur, As I Remember (London: Faber and Faber, 1970: Revised and enlarged, Thames Publishing, 1989)
Craggs, Stewart R., Arthur Bliss: A Bio-bibliography (Westport, Connecticut, Greenwood Press, 1988)
Craggs, Stewart R., Arthur Bliss: A Source Book (Aldershot, Scolar Press, 1996)
Foreman, Lewis, Arthur Bliss: Catalogue of the Complete Works (Sevenoaks, Novello, 1980; suppl. 1982)
Roscow, Gregory, ed., Bliss on Music: Selected Writings of Arthur Bliss 1920-1975, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1991)
The files of Daily Telegraph, The Gramophone, The Musical Times, New York Times, Press and Journal, Radio Times, The Scotsman, The Stage, The Times, record and CD liner notes etc.

Concluded.

With thanks to The Arthur Bliss Society Journal where this essay was first published.