Composed by Christian Mason. World premiere: Paris, Cite de la musique, Januar...(+)
Composed by Christian
Mason.
World premiere: Paris,
Cite
de la musique, January
14,
2020. Breitkopf and
Haertel
#EB 9377. Published by
Breitkopf and Haertel
Chamber Music String Quartet SKU: PR.11441345S Prelude to Contrapunctu...(+)
Chamber Music String
Quartet
SKU:
PR.11441345S
Prelude to
Contrapunctus X from the
Art of the Fugue.
Composed by Shulamit Ran.
Full score. With Standard
notation. Duration 4
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #114-41345S.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.11441345S).
UPC:
680160608829. 8.5 x 11
inches.
BACH-SHARDS
was commissioned by the
Brentano String Quartet
as part of their Art of
the Fugue companion-piece
project. Ran deliberately
stays within the realm of
Bach-like vocabulary,
altering syntax in ways
that add up to something
slightly different from
the anticipated sum of
the parts. The work
builds up to a climax
that makes the entry
point into Bach’s
Contrapunctus X seem
thoroughly
natural. While
composing Bach-Shards I
found myself gravitating,
intuitively and
gradually, toward a dual
goal. First, though
the tension and
dissonance inherent in
certain moments of
Bach’s own
maze-likeÂ
contrapuntal structures
could quite easily and
naturally lead one into a
pungent contemporary
terrain, I opted not to
stray outside the realm
of Bach-like materials
and harmonic
language. Instead, it
was my hope to alter
their relationships and
context in ways that add
up to a something
that’s slightly
different than the
anticipated sum of the
parts. A mildly
deconstructed Bach, if
you will. The other
important challenge I set
for myself was building
up the latter,
toccata-like portion of
Bach-Shards in a way that
would make the entry
point of the fugue which
it precedes,
Contrapunctus X, seem
thoroughly natural.Â
It was my intent to have
the first fugal entrance
feel like a huge and much
welcome release of the
energy created by my
Prelude’s
penultimate stretch, with
its bravura figurations
elaborating on an
insistent dominant pedal
point.
Quartet Sant Petersburg Quatuor à cordes: 2 violons, alto, violoncelle Editorial de Musica Boileau
String quartet SKU: BO.B.3664 Composed by Jordi Cervello. Published by Ed...(+)
String quartet
SKU:
BO.B.3664
Composed by
Jordi Cervello. Published
by Editorial de Musica
Boileau (BO.B.3664).
Cuarteto San
Petersburgo (The Saint
Petersburg Quartet) was
written between January
and March 2011. It owes
its name to the fact that
Saint Petersburg has been
a very significant city
for me. I was invited
there in 1988 to take
part in a big
contemporary music
festival, but my
uninterrupted bond with
the city started on 2002,
thanks to the
negotiations of my friend
and pupil Albert Barbeta.
Since then, I have
constantly travelled
there in order to record
a considerable part of my
repertoire: seventeen
pieces. In addition to
the concerts we went to,
I took the opportunity
during my trips to visit
the well-known
conservatoire where so
many great personalities
from the world of music
composition once taught,
and the place that
launched the most
important violin school
in the whole of Russia:
the school of Leopoldo
Auer. Spending a long
time in Auer's classroom
writing my concert for
violin and orchestra was
an unforgettable
experience for me. His
large portrait motivated
me even
further.
Cuartet
o San Petersburgo evokes
many of the most
cherished and moving
moments that I have had
in this city. It is
structured in four
movements. The first one,
Allegretto-Allegro, opens
with an introduction that
sets forth the two main
themes, amid a soft and
elastic atmosphere. The
Allegro starts vigorously
and in it we find changes
in the tempo and moments
of mystery, as well as
certain seclusion,
returning then to the
emphatic theme where the
counterpoint finds its
place. The movement ends
placidly.
The
Scherzo-marcato that
follows is marked by a
persistent rhythm of
triplets that carries on
from beginning to end.
The tempo does not
change, but brief and
decided themes are
introduced, as well as
passages of counterpoint.
Brief and dissonant
chords are heard
throughout the movement,
which ends
vigorously.
The
third movement, Ut, is a
very special one. For a
while already I had been
playing with the idea of
writing a movement that
was to have the tonality
C as a leitmotiv. This
one is made up by two
slow and static parts. In
the first one, the first
violin plays
pizzicatti-glissandi. In
the second, the first
violin and particularly
the violoncello settle on
C while the other two
instruments produce
descending chromatic
harmonies.
Final
ly, the
Introduccion-Presto (the
Introduction-Presto). It
starts with some bucolic
passages which remind us
of the introduction to
the first movement. A
fast and energetic Presto
suddenly erupts. A kind
of moto perpetuo which
alternates with two
expressive passages and,
towards the end, a viola
and violoncello tremolo,
all of great mystery and
expectation, make way for
a resounding finale
marcato.
Chamber Music String Quartet SKU: PR.114410380 Composed by Lowell Lieberm...(+)
Chamber Music String
Quartet
SKU:
PR.114410380
Composed
by Lowell Liebermann.
Saddle, Tape Junction.
Set of Score and Parts.
With Standard notation.
Composed 1998. Opus 60.
48 + 92 pages. Duration
30 minutes. Theodore
Presser Company
#114-41038. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.114410380).
UPC:
680160015160. 9.5 x 13
inches.
My second
String Quartet was
written twenty years
after the first, Opus 4
from 1978. The First
Quartet is an obsessively
contrapuntal work in one
movement, which was no
doubt influenced by my
studies with David
Diamond. I had always
intended to return to the
medium once I left the
astringency of my earlier
style, but it was only
when the National
Federation of Music Clubs
commissioned a major
chamber work, with
unspecified
instrumentation, to
celebrate their 100th
Anniversary that I was
enabled to do so. The
Second Quartet is in four
movements: Moderato,
Allegro isterico, an
Andante theme with 11
variations, and the
closing Allegro, which
then returns to the tempo
of the first movement. An
audience member at the
premiere told me that she
heard echoes of recent
tragic events such as the
Oklahoma bombing in this
work. While I had no such
programmatic intent while
writing the quartet, it
was not an entirely
incorrect assessment of
the work's intended
emotional impact. The
quartet is pervaded by a
sense of seriousness,
even mournfulness. The
second movement's scherzo
is an aggressively
animated piece of musical
machinery. The third
movement's Variations
unfold into a greater
variety of moods than the
others - but the moments
of lyricism are countered
by aggressive or ironic
outbursts. The final
movement's attempt at
triumph quickly subsides
into a return of the
first movement, before
being transformed onto a
sense of resignation and
acceptance as the
chromaticism of the
opening theme is
transformed into a pure
and diatonic C-Major. The
work received its world
premiere by the Shanghai
Quartet at the 100th
Anniversary Congress of
the National Federation
of Music Clubs at the
Congress Hotel in Chicago
on August 19th
1998. My second String
Quartet was written
twenty years after the
first, Opus 4 from
1978. The First
Quartet is an obsessively
contrapuntal work in one
movement, which was no
doubt influenced by my
studies with David
Diamond. I had always
intended to return to the
medium once I left the
astringency of my earlier
style, but it was only
when the National
Federation of Music Clubs
commissioned a major
chamber work, with
unspecified
instrumentation, to
celebrate their 100th
Anniversary that I was
enabled to do so.The
Second Quartet is in four
movements:Â Moderato,
Allegro isterico, an
Andante theme with 11
variations, and the
closing Allegro, which
then returns to the tempo
of the first movement.An
audience member at the
premiere told me that she
heard echoes of recent
tragic events such as the
Oklahoma bombing in this
work. While I had no
such programmatic intent
while writing the
quartet, it was not an
entirely incorrect
assessment of the
work’s intended
emotional impact. The
quartet is pervaded by a
sense of seriousness,
even mournfulness.Â
The second
movement’s scherzo
is an aggressively
animated piece of musical
machinery. The third
movement’s
Variations unfold into a
greater variety of moods
than the others –
but the moments of
lyricism are countered by
aggressive or ironic
outbursts. The final
movement’s attempt
at triumph quickly
subsides into a return of
the first movement,
before being transformed
onto a sense of
resignation and
acceptance as the
chromaticism of the
opening theme is
transformed into a pure
and diatonic C-Major.The
work received its world
premiere by the Shanghai
Quartet at the 100th
Anniversary Congress of
the National Federation
of Music Clubs at the
Congress Hotel in Chicago
on August 19th 1998.
A Bach Quatuor à cordes: 2 violons, alto, violoncelle Editorial de Musica Boileau
String quartet SKU: BO.B.3388 Composed by Jordi Cervello. Instrumental Se...(+)
String quartet
SKU:
BO.B.3388
Composed by
Jordi Cervello.
Instrumental Sets.
Duration 10:12. Published
by Editorial de Musica
Boileau (BO.B.3388).
English
comments: A Bach for
string quartet is another
evocation of the past, in
this case of J.S. Bach's
works for violin. Written
in 2004, it is a
recreation of two of the
most important movements
in the series of Sonatas
and Partitas: The Adagio
of the third Sonata and
the Prelude of the third
Partita (BWV 1005 and
1006, respectively).
Jordi Cervello was a
violinist and, as such,
it should come as no
surprise that he once
again makes use of
compositions written for
his instrument. The
Adagio, here in common
time (the original by
Bach is in three-four
time), keeps up the
constant rhythmic figure
of the dotted quaver and
semi-quaver throughout
the movement, with a
calmness that is shrouded
in mystery. The second
movement, Preludiando,
retains the same lively
spirit as the original,
but explores different
moods. Moments of calm,
vigour and even some
dramatic points give it a
new dimension thanks to
the fact that it is
written for a quartet and
to Cervello's original
treatment of harmony and
counterpoint.
Co
mentarios del
Espanol: A Bach para
cuarteto de cuerda es
otra evocacion del
pasado, en este caso de
la obra para violin de
J.S. Bach. Escrita el ano
2004, se trata de una
recreacion de dos de los
movimientos mas
importantes de la serie
de Sonatas y Partitas: El
Adagio de la tercera
Sonata y el Preludio de
la tercera Partita (BWV
1005 y 1006
respectivamente). Jordi
Cervello fue violinista
y, como tal, no debe
sorprender que una vez
mas se sirva de material
compositivo procedente de
su instrumento. El
Adagio, aqui en compas de
cuatro (el original de
Bach es de tres) conserva
en todo el movimiento la
constante figura ritmica
de corchea con puntillo y
semicorchea, dentro de un
clima sereno pero rodeado
de misterio. El segundo
movimiento, Preludiando,
conserva el mismo
espiritu vivo del
original, pero
recorriendo diferentes
estados de animo.
Momentos de calma, de
vigor e incluso
dramaticos dan nueva
dimension gracias a la
escritura cuartetistica y
al original tratamiento
armonico y
contrapuntistico de
Cervello. A Bach se
estreno en La Pedrera de
Barcelona dentro del
ciclo Celebracions de la
Fundacio Caixa de
Catalunya en el ano 2006
con el Quarteto
Prometeo.
Complete Works (JSW) Quatuor à cordes: 2 violons, alto, violoncelle Breitkopf & Härtel
String Quartet SKU: BR.SON-634 Composed by Jean Sibelius. Edited by Tuija...(+)
String Quartet
SKU:
BR.SON-634
Composed
by Jean Sibelius. Edited
by Tuija Wicklund Pekka
Helasvuo. Chamber music;
Linen. Complete Works.
Late-romantic; Early
modern. Complete Works.
328 pages. Breitkopf and
Haertel #SON 634.
Published by Breitkopf
and Haertel (BR.SON-634).
ISBN 9790004803691. 9
x 12
inches.
Sibelius's
oeuvre contains four
string quartets. They
appeared over a long time
span and in different
phases of his
professional career. Most
of his early compositions
were chamber music, and
he composed his three
earliest quartets (in E
flat major (JS 184,
1885), A minor (JS 183,
1889), B flat major (Op.
4, 1890)) around his
study years. They
remained unprinted during
his lifetime, and the
string quartet in E flat
major was also not
performed in public. The
quartet in D minor Voces
intimae op. 56, on the
other hand, was completed
in London in the spring
of 1909, and Sibelius
wrote to his wife Aino:
It became wonderful. Just
the kind that raises a
smile on one's face even
at the moment of death.
Voces intimae was
published in the same
year. Even later,
Sibelius seemed to be
very satisfied with his
composition, for he wrote
in his diary: It is
generally claimed to be
my best work. I do not
think quite that, but it
does belong among my best
ones..
La Mort I La Donzella Quatuor à cordes: 2 violons, alto, violoncelle Editorial de Musica Boileau
Violin and string quartet/quintet SKU: BO.B.2678 Composed by Jordi Cervel...(+)
Violin and string
quartet/quintet
SKU:
BO.B.2678
Composed by
Jordi Cervello.
Instrumental Sets.
Duration 6:00. Published
by Editorial de Musica
Boileau (BO.B.2678).
English
comments: Death and
the Maiden.This is a
Catalan folk song that
captivated me the very
first time I heard it. In
1974 I decided to indulge
myself by using this song
for a composition for
violin and string
orchestra (and solo
violin with a quartet).
The popular theme takes
the form of a long violin
solo based on triplets
with a background of soft
harmonies played by the
rest of the musicians.
--Jordi
Cervello
Comenta
rios del Espanol: La
muerte y la doncella. Se
trata de una melodia
popular catalana que
desde su primer momento
me cautivo. Fue en 1974
cuando me decidi a
recrearme con ella a
traves de una composicion
para violin y orquesta de
cuerda (tambien violin
solista con cuarteto). El
tema popular encuadra un
largo solo del solista a
base de tresillos
inspirados en el
Coral-Preludio de una
cantata de J. S. Bach.
--Jordi Cervello.
String quartet SKU: HH.HH462-FSP Composed by Ming Wang. String Quartet. F...(+)
String quartet
SKU:
HH.HH462-FSP
Composed
by Ming Wang. String
Quartet. Full score and
parts. Edition HH Music
Publishers #HH462-FSP.
Published by Edition HH
Music Publishers
(HH.HH462-FSP).
ISBN
9790708146711.
Cica
da larvae live
underground for years,
creeping about slowly and
peacefully in the
darkness until that
sudden, beautiful brief
moment when, one warm,
damp summer’s eve,
they emerge,
metamorphosed into a
highly mobile life form.
Gaily they dance in the
sunshine, singing
ardently to the trees in
all their greenery ---
but only for a short
while, for, just as
suddenly, they are gone.
The same process repeats
year upon year. The life
cycle of this string
quartet resembles that of
the cicada. Initially,
two embryonic cells
remain hidden within
dense, gloomy
note-clusters; over time
they evolve into buds,
grow and then blossom.
They appear for the first
time in their adult form
in the fast middle
section, where they
assume the shape of two
very popular Chinese folk
melodies, Jasmine and Old
Six Blows, albeit in
wholly chromaticized and
defamiliarized variants.
After their grand
efflorescence, these
forms gradually dissolve
into transparent wisps of
sound.