Irish Music for Strings Score + Parties. Par AUTEURS DIVERS. The cheerful and often melancholic melodies of Ireland lend themselves well for easy string quartet or ensemble repertoire. Wonderful tunes such as 'A Lovely Lass” and 'The Foggy Dew” have been arranged by Speckert for two violins, viola and cello. In all pieces the viola can be replaced by a third violin. 'Fiddle Tunes” forms part of the 'Easy String Ensemble” series./ Répertoire / Ensemble à Cordes

In the summer of 1893 Antonin Dvorak sat down and composed String Quartet In F Op.96. This beloved quartet was written whilst Dvorak was on vacation in rural Iowa. It is a slow movement for quartet and the finale sweeps along on a energetic syncopated rhythm in the second violin and viola that shortly transforms itself into a wonderful patchwork of shifting accents. The first violin sings first randomly and then voluptuously atop this motoric accompaniment. The quartet is written for 2 violins viola and cello.

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 No. 2-Quasi Una Fantasia was commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by the Beigler Trust Lincoln Centre for the Performing Arts and the Kosciuszko. This edition is a set of parts for 2 Violins Viola and Cello.

Score-This piece was commissioned by the Stanley String Quartet in 1958 and completed in 1959. It was awarded the Pulitzer prize in 1960. Scored for 2 Violins Viola Cello.