May / June 2013

The Chamber Music of Jan Levoslav Bella

Ján Levoslav Bella (1843-1936) is a composer who has unfortunately escaped all notice of virtually every performing ensemble and most amateurs outside of the Slovak Republic. Bella, for the first 76 years of his life was an Austrian, he spent his last 17 as a Czechoslovak, and today, he is posthumously a proud son of the Slovak Republic. Although known to the editors of Groves as early as their 3rd edition, to those of Cobbett’s Cyclopedia, Bella remained a cipher. Others who knew him included Richard Strauss, with whom he was on especially good terms, Liszt, Brahms, Dohnanyi and Joseph Joachim. Bella spent much of his life (1881-1921) as City Music Director (Stadtskapellmeister) in Hermannstadt (now Sibiu, Romania), a town with a sizeable German population in what was then part of the Hapsburg Empire or Austria-Hungary. His string chamber music consists of 4 quartets (g minor 1866, e minor 1871, c minor 1880 and B flat Major 1887, and a viola quintet (1868). At one time, Bella and his music were not entirely unknown. The famous Bohemian Quartet included his c minor quartet (No.2), on their programs. With the exception of a Nottorno, which dates from 1930, Bella wrote all his chamber music before 1888. If you are looking for Bohemian or even Slovak folk melody, you will not find it here. The music is not particularly Slavic sounding and tonally, though not in form, shows more of the influence of Liszt, Bruckner, Wagner, Schubert and Richard Strauss.

Bella's Second String Quartet was his best known. It  dates from 1871 and, for the time, is really quite forward looking tonally, with many very original ideas. The opening Allegro risoluto, as the movement suggests begins quite resolutely with a thrusting theme containing some very intriguing chromatic tonalities. The second theme is gentler and more lyrical but closely related to the first. The main theme of the second movement, a big Adagio, is a deeply felt, religious melody. The development section features some very original and exotic-sounding episodes. Even more exotic and original is the main theme to the Allegro scherzando which comes next. This is followed up by a wonderful Hungarian folk-dance. The finale begins with a highly emotive and charged Largo con moto-Allegro maestoso.  It, too, has an urgent, Hungarian sounding melody for its main theme. Slowly, Bella masterfully builds both tension and momentum as the tempo increases.

The Fourth Quartet, though it was not as well-known as the Second, did receive performances in German and Austria for a time. String Quartet No.4 dates from 1887. The first theme of the opening Allegro molto is quite original both melodically and rhythmically. The longing and tender second theme does have a Slavic quality to it. The Andante sostenuto which follows begins is an dignified fashion and also seems to have this same longing and Slavic tinge. The unusual development breaks the theme apart though lighter rhythmic passages. The opening to the scherzo, Allegro, briefly quotes the main theme of the opening movement before taking off into a lilting waltz. Yet, from time to time, this quote interrupts the proceedings. The trio section is consists of a lovely, gentle melody which provides fine contrast. The bright finale, Allegretto, begins in sprightly fashion with a catchy melody. The second subject is presented in canonic fashion.

Bella's Quintet for 2 Violins, 2 Violas and Cello is an extremely fine work and makes a very valuable addition to the literature. It is surprising indeed that it did not become part of the repertoire. The opening movement, Allegro appassionato, begins softly with a yearning theme played over a tremolo which creates considerable drama. The lovely second theme, with its echoes of Schubert and Bruckner, quickly rises to an intense dramatic climax, before Bella develops it on a grand scale in the tradition of Schubert's late works. The second movement, a Scherzo, begins in a light and delicate fashion, its fetching melodies effortlessly moving forward like a skater over ice. It is followed by a contrasting trio section. The marvelous Adagietto which follows begins in canonic fashion. The heavy theme moves slowly and in a deliberate fashion and as it is developed we hear distant echoes of Schubert's Death & the Maiden Quartet, also in d minor. The powerful climax is approached in, what was for the time, a very modern fashion, anticipating Richard Strauss by more than 2 decades. The finale, Presto, begins somewhat pensively before the first violin breaks loose in a Hungarian flurry. A series of attractive and lyrical melodies successively follow on each others heels the last being a particularly striking duo between the violins to a rhythmic accompaniment.

You can hear generous soundbites of the two string quartets and the string quintet discussed above on our website and the sheet music to all are  available from Edition Silvertrust.