Wenzel Heinrich VEIT (1806-1864)
Complete String Quartets - Volume 2
String Quartet No. 3 in E flat Major Op. 7 (1838) [32:13]
String Quartet No. 4 in G minor Op. 16 (1840) [34:31]
Kertész Quartet
rec. 2016, St. Peter’s, Evercreech, UK
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0409 [66:48]
An excellent recording which all devotees of string quartets should cherish.
I was first introduced to the music of the German-Bohemian composer Wenzel Heinrich Veit, of whom I knew nothing beforehand, only about three months ago, when a friend loaned me volume one of this 2 CD series of his complete string quartets (TOCC0335 - review). That disc has since been on my wish list, so I jumped at the chance to review this one and am glad I did, as, if anything, the music here is even better than on volume one.
In his review of volume one, Jonathan Woolf stated that he “was not expecting to find lost masterpieces in this series, but the disc is valuable for shining light on the role of the string quartet in Bohemia in the years before Smetana and on the influence of Austrian and German contemporaries on native Czech composers.” On the evidence of that volume, no matter how interesting and attractive the music is, I tend to agree with Jonathan, mainly due to the influence of the likes of Beethoven, Schubert and Robert Schumann upon Viet’s music, but here, whilst the influence of the great man is still in evidence, his music is more original with stronger characterisation, especially in the final movements.
The String Quartet No. 3 appeared only a year after the publication of his String Quartet No. 2 and is dedicated to Count Clam-Gallas, whose father was a patron of the arts and supporter of Beethoven. From the opening four-note motif in unison, that is repeated three times, you get the sense that Veit has taken a step forward. Yes, the influences are still there, but he uses them here less as a slavish imitator and more to develop his own style. The slow third movement has an attractive pastoral theme that leads into a dancelike second theme, both united in the final section of the movement. The final Allegro molto begins similarly to the first: all four instruments play in unison then the theme is taken up by the higher strings. This leads into the second theme, another attractive dance episode which contrasts with the main theme, then the coda develops themes from all four movements, in a fitting climax to the work.
The G minor Quartet was completed less than two years after the Third Quartet and was published shortly after its completion. The opening movement resembles the opening of the first and third quartets, in that it begins with all the instruments in unison, although here the first violin’s part is less virtuosic than in the other three quartets. There is a difference between the manuscript and the published scores, in that the flowing Menuetto is placed second in the printed version. This is followed by the beautiful Adagio, with the main opening theme being carried by the viola played over the plucked strings of the cello, followed by another attractive secondary theme. The final movement is noteworthy for its middle slow section marked ‘Air de Bohème’, here Veit employs a popular tune as a theme and builds a series of variations around it. The movement ends with a recapitulation of the main theme before a single plucked cello string marks the beginning of a headlong rush to the end of the work.
These are both very attractive string quartets, which show a little more maturity of style and originality than the first two quartets on Volume One of this series. They are played wonderfully well by the Kertész Quartet, who follow on from their excellent performances of the first two quartets with another brilliant display. The acoustic and recorded sound is, like the first volume, very good indeed, whilst the booklet notes are excellent; one again, they give a good background to the composer and an exposition of his music.
Stuart Sillitoe
MusicWeb International - August 2018
Your name is Katalin Kertész? And you play violin? Then you must be related to…
…István Kertész! And yes she is.
But not István Kertész the conductor…! Of course the “is she related to” question popped in my mind, so I wrote a mail to the quartet’s website. The anewer revealed that she is related to a István Kertész, the primarius of the renown and pioneering Festetics Quartet. They were one of the first string quartets playing on “authentic instruments”, just like the Kertész Quartet, by the way. But what does these trivialities matter, the Kertész Quartet made a splendid recording of an unknown Bohemian composer named Wenzel Heinrich Veit. Fine music, compared in this review to Ludwig Spohr, but with enough own voice to be recommended by me. To fill the playlist I found two recordings by the Festetics Quartet that drew praise from Classics today (Haydn, Emperor quartet) and the Gramophone (Haydn’s last, unfinished d minor quartet from 1803) and fit nicely between the two Veit quartets. Hope you will like this playlist as much as I did the last couple of weeks ;-)
Friday, March 2, 2018 by Rolf den Otter
VEIT String Quartets: No. 1 in d, op. 3; No. 2 in E, op. 5 • Kertész Qrt (period instruments) • TOCCATA 0335 (62:23) Fanfare Magazine
...Most readers, I think, are aware of my attitude towards the use of period instruments in music that dates well into the 19th century, and so I can be excused for taking a rather jaundiced view of the Kertész Quartet—a British ensemble I’d not previously encountered—performing these works on period instruments. The all-female group is relatively new, having established itself in 2010, and I have to say that much to my pleasant surprise I was made aware only once or twice that I was not hearing modern instruments. Those fleeting moments are heard in the less than full-bodied tone only on the highest and lowest notes in the first violin and cello parts, respectively, places Veit doesn’t visit all that often. Otherwise, the players command perfect intonation, rock-solid technique, and a well-rounded, robust sound. Their website, kerteszquartet.co.uk, lists no recordings, not even this one, so I don’t know if this is the ensemble’s debut album or not. In terms of performance, it’s certainly a very good one, which should recommend the Kertész Quartet in future recordings of more familiar repertoire. Jerry Dubins
This article originally appeared in Issue 41:2 (Nov/Dec 2017) of Fanfare Magazine.
Wenzel Heinrich Veit String Quartets, Vol. 1 – an individual voice
Robert Schumann had this to say of Wenzel Heinrich Veit’s music:
The form of this quartet contains nothing unusual, there is no boldness or originality, but it is proper and shows a well-trained hand. Both the harmony and the individual voices are worthy of high praise.
I think the first part of that assessment’s a little harsh, but I do agree with the second.
This initial installment of Veit string quartet recordings starts at the beginning, with quartets Nos. 1 and 2.
Wenzel Heinrich Weit (1806-1864) was a Czech composer heavily influenced by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Schubert. His music laid the foundation for the next generation of Czech composers, which would include Dvorak and Smetana.
The 1834 String Quartet No. 1 in D minor was completed when Veit was 28 and is a relatively early work. Stylistically, it reminded me of the Op. 18 quartets of Beethoven with a dash of Schubertian harmonies. The third movement features the melody “God Save the Tzar.;” a nod, perhaps, to Russia’s alliance with Czechoslovakia during the Napoleonic Wars.
Veit’s second string quartet completed a year later, shows some growth. This is a much more dramatic work, with a thicker texture and darker character. To me, it sounds somewhat closer to Schumann’s quartets. Perhaps that’s what appealed to Schumann in his review.
I wouldn’t say these works aren’t original. True, Veit doesn’t stray far from Haydn’s string quartet model. But his melodies are interesting and the overall sound of the quartets is quite appealing.
Also appealing are the performances by the Kertész String Quartet. This period-instrument quartet has a wonderfully rich, warm ensemble sound. I am very much looking forward to volume two.
Wenzel Heinrich Veit: Complete String Quartets, Volume One
String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, Op. 3; String Quartet No. 2 in E major, Op. 5
Kertész String Quartet
Toccata Classics TOCC 0335
Nov 13th, 2017 | By Ralph Graves