Grace, elegance and clarity are discernible in the
Minuet by Ignaz Friedman (1882–1948), based on an unassuming divertimento for string quartet and two horns. If this is Mozart made of sugar, then it’s a creation of the finest spun sugar, taking pride of place in a patisserie window, for Friedman views the simple piece through late-Romantic eyes, replete with double-trills, a startlingly Grainger-esque opening harmonization and quasi-pizzicato rolled chords in the left hand. This contrasts with a trio section where bubbling right-hand figuration is then joined by the minuet’s opening theme, now a counter-melody in the left hand, before a reprise of the minuet proper.
from notes by Harriet Smith © 2008
