Titz: String Quartets for the Imperial Court of St. Petersburg, Vol. 2

Album review

Violinist and composer Anton Ferdinand Titz (1742-1810) was born in Nuremberg and was apparently a friend of Gluck, but he spent most of his career in Russia, first brought there by Catherine the Great. His life, marked by a curious mania during his later years, is discussed in a colorful booklet essay, given in German and English parallel texts. He stopped speaking, but this seems to have increased his mystique; a Russian poet wrote, "You deserve laurels of honor, and you can disdain ordinary language." His string quartets have been championed by the Hoffmeister Quartet. They range over several decades; from the ones included here, which date from 1781 to 1808, it's hard to hear a distinct stylistic evolution. It's clear, however, that Titz brought an understanding of sonata form with him to Russia and continued to think through its implications. These are not exactly serious works, but they're expansive in scope without being particularly long, and they combine structural intelligence with a kind of low-key humor. Sample the opening Allegro of the Quartet in C major of 1808 (track 8), which in a few unassuming bars lays out a couple of harmonic directions and a possibility for an expansion into folkish rhythms. There are hints of Russian flavor here and there, introduced with much the same subtlety as Haydn's small moves in the direction of Eastern European folk melody. Haydn is certainly a model for a good deal of the music, but Titz is the most fun when he is most himself, as in the charming final rondo of the Quartet in G major of 1781, the very last track on the disc, with its unusual octave effects. Not unknown Classical-period masterworks, but enjoyable and interesting both for lovers of Classical chamber music and for anyone curious about what the music sounded like at Catherine's court.
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