Rebecca Clarke: Two Movements for string quartet (1924? -26)

Nearly a century ago, Rebecca Clarke completed two remarkable short pieces for string quartet. They largely disappeared from view until the 1990s when they were “re-discovered,” with the Comodo e amabile being performed at the behest of the Music Library Association, Berkeley, CA, and the Adagio (Poem) receiving its premiere on 25 September 1999 by the Lydian String Quartet at the Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

Rebecca Clarke (1886–1979) was a British composer and violist, who is still honoured for her contributions to chamber music. After time at the Royal Academy of Music, she became a pupil of Charles Villiers Stanford at the Royal College of Music between 1907-10.

She was among the first female professional orchestral players in London and gained considerable recognition for her Viola Sonata (1919) and Piano Trio (1921). She spent time in the United States both during the First World War and just before the start of the Second. There she met and married a fellow student of the RCM, James Friskin.

Clarke's compositions, though not vast in number, are appreciated for their emotional depth and technical brilliance. Traces of Bloch, Ravel, and Debussy are evident in her work, alongside elements of English modal tonality and folksong. Her compositions exhibit a sharp focus and a brooding character. Notably, her viola sonata is often described as both passionate and impulsive. Interest in her music was revitalized by the establishment of the Rebecca Clarke Society in 2000, dedicated to celebrating and promoting her achievement. There are now numerous recordings available in CD catalogues.

The Two Movements for string quartet were not part of a single work but seem to have been intended for two separate string quartets. These never materialised.

The Comodo e amabile (c.1924) nods to Claude Debussy, but at times seems to echo developments in Ralph Vaughan Williams musical language. Written in sonata form, the movement is characterised by a sense of intimacy and warmth. This is predicated on subtle contrapuntal activity between the instruments and the use of modal harmonies.

The Adagio, which in some manuscript parts is referred to as Poem was written in 1925. The material is based on “an important motif” from Clarke’s Trio (1921), which in turn was derived from Ernst Bloch’s Schelomo. This composer was a source of inspiration at this period of her life. Presenting a theme of emotional intensity, which reflected Bloch, the piece starts with a “simple” theme but develops by way of “chromaticism and subtle dissonances” into a surprisingly intense movement. Clarke herself wrote that this Adagio should be “short and simple:” whether ‘simplicity’ is a characteristic is up to the listener to decide.

Listen to the Two Movements for string quartet, on YouTube, here, (Comodo e amabile) and here (Adagio). They have been uploaded from Centaur CRC2847, and feature Julstrom String Quartet. Other recordings include Dutton Epoch CDLX 7105 with the Flesch Quartet, and on Skarbo DSK4182, played by the Quatuor Sine Qua Non.