Born in South Africa, but now an Irish citizen, Kevin Volans' musical idiom has been shaped by an unusually diverse range of experiences, including studies with Stockhausen in Cologne, field trips to South Africa to study traditional music, his own involvement with the New Simplicity movement, his collection of contemporary art and African textiles, friendships with composers like Morton Feldman and Gerald Barry, as well as a love of virtuoso piano music which he performs, broadcasts and records. While having an easily recognised, unique voice, Volans' music resists compartmentalisation. He is as comfortable working in conventional genres as embarking on innovative collaborations with artists of other disciplines.String Quartet #1 (White Man Sleeps) was written for the Kronos Quartet and was first performed by them in July 1986, London.The title 'White Man Sleeps' comes from a moment in nyanga Panpipe music where the performers leave off playing their loud pipes for a few cycles and dance only to the sound of their ankle rattles, to let the white landowner sleep - for a minute or two.'In composing this piece I drew from the following sources: the first movement owes something to the style of Basotho concertina music - the second and fourth movements are drawn from traditional Nyungwe music played by Makina Chirenje and his Nyanga panpipe group at Nsava, Tete, Mozambique, recorded and transcribed by Andrew Tracey (to be found in an article entitled 'The nyanga Panpipe dance' in African Music, Vol.5, #1 (1971) - the third movement derives from the San bow music (recorded by Tony Traill of the University of Witwatersrand) and from Basotho lesiba music, transcribed by myself - in the fifth movement I added my own invented folklore. My approach to the original music was anything but purist - it is played in Western tuning, filtered, slowed down by a few 'time-octaves?, cast into non-African metres (like the 13-beat pattern of the first dance) and redistributed between the players in several ways. I also used interlocking techniques where they were absent in the original models and vice versa' - Kevin VolansDuration 24 minutes. Parts available: CH61205. / Quatuor A Cordes (Conducteur)

Par COHEN MARY. Winter soundscapes is a collection of seven evocative sound pictures, which conjure up the landscapes and feelings of a traditional hard winter. The pieces contrast one another, with relaxed fireside scenes next to relentless snowstorms, allowing young players to experiment with a number of styles and techniques. This is a great alternative to carols for December concerts and suitable for working on long after Christmas too. Ideal concert fillers for the Intermediate string quartet with the added flexibility of a violin 3 alternative to viola. / Niveau : Assez Facile / Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

Par SCULTHORPE PETER. Kenneth Hince of the Australian says '...one of his finest works...a composer thoroughly at ease with himself, working in a mode that has come to terms with his tradition and with his environment, and using it with assurance to create music of great beauty and economy...the most convincing demonstration Sculthorpe has given us his powerful originality of mind.' The Australian 27th December 1971 / Niveau : Intermédiaire / Répertoire / Trio ou Quatuor à Cordes

8 Twentieth-Century Pieces. Having touched on the romantic era in 'To a Wild Rose' and the classical era in 'An die Musik', Kember moves forward to the twentieth-century with this thoughtfully chosen collection for string quartet. The Schott String Quartet Series With the first books in the series focusing on baroque, classical and romantic styles, The Schott String Quartet Series has expanded to cover music ranging from traditional pieces through to Eastern-influenced works. Aside from 'Indian Summer', which features original compositions, each book contains original arrangements of well known themes, which have often never been arranged for string quartet before. An important characteristic of these arrangements is that they allow all four instruments to demand the attention throughout the music. The pieces are suitable for amateur musicians or school students and are ideal for public performance./ Recueil / Quatuor à Cordes

8 Twentieth-Century Pieces. Having touched on the romantic era in 'To a Wild Rose' and the classical era in 'An die Musik', Kember moves forward to the twentieth-century with this thoughtfully chosen collection for string quartet. The Schott String Quartet Series With the first books in the series focusing on baroque, classical and romantic styles, The Schott String Quartet Series has expanded to cover music ranging from traditional pieces through to Eastern-influenced works. Aside from 'Indian Summer', which features original compositions, each book contains original arrangements of well known themes, which have often never been arranged for string quartet before. An important characteristic of these arrangements is that they allow all four instruments to demand the attention throughout the music. The pieces are suitable for amateur musicians or school students and are ideal for public performance./ Recueil / Quatuor à Cordes