Svendsen, Johan

Strykekvartett (tapt)

String Quartet (lost)

JSV VARIA

The first extensive list of Svendsen's works printed in an encyclopedia can be found in François-Joseph Fétis: Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique, Supplément, Paris, 1880. Here a Quatuor pour cordes is listed as Op. 20. Similar information can be found in some later worklists. This information might have been given to the author of the specific article on Svendsen, Adolphe Jullien, by Svendsen himself. Jullien’s name and address can be found in one of Svendsen’s almanacs. We know from the correspodance between Svendsen and Edvard Grieg that Svendsen worked on a Quartet in the years just before the printing of the Biographie universelle. In a letter from Svendsen to Grieg, dated the 15 June 1878, he wrote: 'Lykkelige Menneske, Du som har faaet færdig en Quartett, jeg har begyndt paa en, men jeg finder Opgaven vanskeligere for hvær Dag, og gaar det som hidtil saa har jeg liden Udsigt til at faa den færdig i dette Aarhundrede.' [Lucky you. You have finished a Quartet. I have started working on one, but I find the task more and more difficult for each day. If it continues like this, I have small hopes of finishing it in this century!].

In a letter from Svendsen to Grieg dated 30 Januay 1879 Grieg is told that Svendsen has given up working on this composition: ‘Du spørger efter min i Sommer paabegyndte Quartett. Den har jeg foreløpig opgivet.’ [You ask about my Quartet, initiated this summer. I have given it up for the time being].
Svendsen might have had thoughts of placing another work than this abandoned Quartet as Op. 20, until he later decided not to use this opusnumber at all. In Johan Svendsen’s latest worklist in manuscript he lists the following as Op. 20: ‘Forlægger samt Komposition findes ikke’. [Publisher and work do not exist].

See also: No composition (Op. 20)