Like this Serenades, Joseph Jongen wrote his String Quartet No. 2 in A major, Op. 50 in England. It was premiered in London on 14 January 1917. The review in Musical Times says it is “one of the finest chamber music programmes ever heard in London”. According to the reviewer, Jongen’s string quartet was something special, with an extraordinary sense of beauty and immensely satisfying in form.
The Méditation (1887) and the Molto adagio, sempre cantante doloroso (1887) by Guillaume Lekeu are the work of a teenager, but an extremely talented teenager. Both works are based on Biblical reflection as well as the decadent symbolic literature of his time. According to the composer, the Méditation deals with the wanderings of a soul in search of faith. In one of his letters, Lekeu called the Molto adagio, sempre cantante doloroso, a commentary on the words of Christ.
Joseph Jongen – String Quartet No. 2, in A major, Op. 50
1. Allegro moderato, 2. Lento, 3. Molto vivo
Performers: Gong Quartet
CD: Pavane Records
Guillaume Lekeu – Méditation
Performers: Quatuor Debussy
CD: Timpani
Guillaume Lekeu – Molto Adagio sempre cantante doloroso
Performers: Spiegel String Quartet
CD: MDG
