Noon Notes

Ravel and Beach String Quartets

Hans Swenson

Peti Russell

Zac Masiba

Leah Running

Ravel: Ravel’s string quartet in F Major, composed in 1903, was the only string quartet written by early 20th-century French composer. At the time, Ravel was studying composition under Gabriel Faure (another notable French composer) at the Paris Conservatoire. In fact, Ravel said that his quartet was dedicated “to my dear master Gabriel Faure”. With the musical influence of successful French composers (Faure, Debussy) and a post-Romantic era setting, Ravel’s quartet shows a careful balance between traditional classical forms and relatively new 20th-century techniques.

Beach: Completed in Rome in 1929, Amy Beach’s one movement quartet took nearly eight years to finish. The piece was inspired and based around three Inuit songs, with Beach using each of them as themes or motifs to build sections around. When Beach returned to the states, the piece gained popularity and was performed several times throughout the 1930’s. The first of these performances on American soil was done in New York in 1931, with the concert being put on by the Society of American Women Composers.

This popular chamber music series is from 12:00 - 1:00 PM and is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Montana Chamber Music Society, the Montana Arts Council and hosted by the Library Foundation.

Visit www.montanachambermusicsociety.org for more information.

Cost: FREE