Commissioned by the Presteigne Festival of Music and the Arts Limited with funds provided by the Arts Council of Wales for premiere in August 2012 by the Carducci String Quartet in St. Andrew?s Church Presteigne.Composer's Note.'Some years ago I noted down the opening theme of what I anticipated would be a relatively Classical string quartet ?Classical? in the sense of the forms adopted plus perhaps a predominantly lyrical tone of voice. The commission for this work from the Presteigne Festival for their 30th anniversary in 2012 gave me the opportunity of putting into practice this long-held idea. It isdedicated to the Festival and to the Carducci Quartet whose career as much-admired friends and colleagues I have greatly enjoyed.The only break with ?classical? tradition is that there are five movements instead of four with two Scherzi as the second and third though both these are very short and contrasting. I found myself listening to Haydn?s string quartets a lot before and during the composition of this work and I hope the spirit of his delight in writing for this medium is echoed in my own music. The opening movement is in sonata form unusually for me and lyricism is I hope the basis of it though there is a good deal of activity at times. The Scherzo light and marked by frequently-changing rhythms is followed by an equally short but ferocious Perpetuum mobile marked Wild und rasch (one of my favourite German tempo markings). The fourth movement is an intense Adagio in which a single phrase uttered strongly in unison is gradually transformed into gentle diatonic chords before the close intermingled with cadenzas for cello for viola and for the two violins together. The finale (a Rondo) resumes the classical tone of the first movement but apart from one dance-like episode it builds up a fair head of steam towards a final Presto which however ascends slows and quietens towards a gentle summer sky at dusk.'

String quartet with optional 3rd violin part-This series for strings enables you to play both familiar and less familiar music with friends. Each volume contains four pieces beautifully arranged for musicians of a moderate standard. All pieces have an optional third violin part so the lack of viola player doesn't have to be a problem! Now you can start making music and exploring the greatest form of chamber music the string quartet.

String Quartet No. 2 (MusÚe MÚcanique) was commissioned by the Ciompi Quartet for their series at Duke University with funds from Meet the Composer. The first performances were given on April 25 and 26 2002. The Ciompi also helped in the preparation of this edition and have recorded both String Quartet No. 1 and String Quartet No. 2 for Albany Records (Troy 717). The second string quartet is dedicated with enormous admiration and gratitude to my friends Eric Pritchard Hsiao-Mei Ku Jonathan Bagg and Fred Raimi of the Ciompi Quartet.

String Quartets Book III op. 17-The autograph score of the Quartets op. 17 was in the possession of the imperial police chief Johann Nepomuk Neuwirth whose widow gave it to the Wiener Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in 1875. It is said that Haydn ?used to playthe viola in quartet rehearsals? at the Neuwirth?s house. Whether the Quartets op. 17 were composed for these gatherings can no longer be ascertained. However even today they still have a fixed place amongst the music of allchamber music friends and in particular nos. 4 5 and 6 which are very different to the divertimento style of the early quartets are played again and again.