Nikolai Myaskovsky's String Quartet No.7 in F Major dates from 1941. The opening movement, a lyrical Andantino, is quiet and somewhat leisurely in character. The second movement, Vivace e fantastico, is wild and racing, almost dervish-like; there is no place to rest until the middle section, which is more reflective. Next comes an Andante con moto, which has the flair of the Russian orient. The composer himself stated he used a melody from a Caucasian folk tune, a Balkar love song. The finale, Vivacissimo, with its energetic main theme and lively second subject, makes a suitable conclusion. Our all-new edition has been carefully edited by senior editors Lloyd Celzo and R.H.R. Silvertrust.
Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881-1950) has to be one of the most underrated composers of the 20th century. Most who come to his music for the first time are amazed that it is not better known. He wrote some 27 symphonies and 13 string quartets. Myaskovsky was born in Congress (i.e., Russian) Poland near Warsaw, where his father, a military engineer, was then serving. He took piano and violin lessons as a boy but followed in his father's footsteps, entering the military academy and graduating as an engineer. When he was posted to Moscow, he studied composition with Reinhold Gliere. Upon transfer to St. Petersburg, he finally decided to become a composer and entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and Liadov. It was there that he met Prokofiev, with whom he became close friends. He served in WWI and was severely wounded on the Austrian front. After the war, he taught for most of his life at the Moscow Conservatory. Among his many students were Kabalevsky, Khatchaturian, Shebalin, and Shchedrin.
While we know the quartets of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, those of Myaskovsky are every bit as deserving of our attention. Here is another fine work which belongs in the concert hall and which should be of interest to professional groups everywhere, but which is well within the ability of amateurs.
