I was delighted to read of Lawrence Sherwood's excited reaction to the
Robert Simpson string quartets - and he's quite right to phrase his report
in such exalted terms:  the Simpson quartets are certainly one of the
major mountain ranges in twentieth-century chamber music.  Lawrence is
also correct in stating that palindromes are an important element in the
Ninth Quartet, but he's way out in asserting that the entire quartet is
palindromic.* Simpson's Ninth consists of a theme, 32 variations and fugue.
Haydn's theme is palindromic - but in it each half is repeated:  let's
say abcdef, abcdef | fedcba, fedcba.  Simpson follows this design almost
literally (there's a tiny margin of liberty), so that each of the 32
"variations" contains a first phrase, repeated, and then played backwards,
twice; to confuse this otherwise crystal-clear approach, he sometimes
dovetails one variation into the next - without upsetting the palindromes.
"It's dead easy", he told me once, "you just have to compose the music
for the first bit and then copy it out backwards" - but he was, as often,
covering his tracks.  The Ninth Quartet, moreover, follows the broad
outline of the movements of a symphonic structure.

Nor is it all some cerebral experiment.  I find the Ninth Quartet deeply
moving, in the wringing, disturbing, thrilling way that Bruckner's Ninth
Symphony is.

Some of you may know that there is a Robert Simpson Society - and it needs
new blood.  The original RSS was founded to get the music recorded, and
thanks to Hyperion that goal is nearly achieved.  But the RSS still wants
to stimulate discussion of the music, promote RS's writings, encourage
performances, etc.  If you are interested in helping, drop me a line and
I shall pass it on.

*The second movement of Simpson's Second Symphony is one vast
palindromemordnilap.

Cheers
Martin

Martin Anderson
Toccata Press
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www.drakeint.co.uk/toccata-press