Word: menuetto
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...first and last “Allegro” movements created a lively, playful mood, while the second, “Menuetto: Moderato,” was much more sedate, and the third—“Adagio”—more melodious. Though by no fault of the musicians, the ends of both the “Menuetto” and the “Adagio” felt inconclusive. However, this was more than compensated for by the final “Allegro assai,” which brought the Quartet full circle by tying...
...down perceptibly toward the end of the movement, as much as six to twelve beats a second. Then, as if the Schumann had not sufficiently apprized the audience of a certain weakness in the area of intonation on the part of the first violinist, his opening phrase in the Menuetto was positively horrid. Here I pause to remark that throughout the evening Alexander Schneider played badly out of tune and with a thin, unpleasant sound. I cannot either explain or excuse such playing as no other member of the ensemble was so afflicted. His ear-jarring performance marred much...
...first movement, Allegro, certain motifs played by the violinist were to be echoed by the violist, who, in contrast, failed to match the agility and lightness of Schneider's playing. The group did, however, make very effective transitions and tempo changes. Played with apparent quickness and ease, the Menuetto Allegretto had an incomparable dance-like quality. The final Allegro moved well and provided an excellent ending to a piece that started off rather slowly...
...last work performed, the orchestra sounded as though it had not yet calmed down after the Hindemith. The balances were poor and the tone in general ragged. Mr. Senturia held the group together with difficulty, and the attacks were consistently bad. The second movement failed to sing, and the menuetto did not have the grace and style which is usually the Orchestra's strongest point...
...more taxing C-minor Fantasia did not have this unity of conception. In its opening pages, as in the Menuetto of the E-flat Sonata (R. 282), Mr. Lewin played so slowly that one lost the momentum of individual figurations, not to speak of whole phrases. One might also criticize the frequent obtrusion upon the melodic line of reiterated chords and single notes which should serve only as subdued accompaniment...