Format : Score and Parts
SKU: PR.14440572S
ISBN 9781598066029. UPC: 680160617685. 9x12 inches.
When the family heirs to the legendary Galimir String Quartet (three sisters and a brother) gathered to commemorate the centenary birth years of these famed performers, they chose Ellen Taaffe Zwilich to commission for this honor. The composer, who has also worked professionally as a violinist, responded with a one-movement odyssey entitled Voyage, cross-breeding her own characteristic style with glimpses of Viennese waltzes and other Galimir flavor. There is a sweet, sad lyricism to this work, a hectic discord..., some wailing and moaning, these moods alternating with dancing klezmer rhythms of Jewish wedding music that take over and make things right in the end. (Stanley Fefferman, BachTrack.com).
SKU: PR.144407280
ISBN 9781491136607. UPC: 680160680047.
Faced with the same instrumentation as Messiaen’s iconic Quartet for the End of Time, composed in a POW camp during World War II, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich was moved to give voice to those less fortunate prisoners who would never return home. Zwilich’s chilling memorial quotes music created in concentration camps, drawing on two short excerpts to create an artistic view of a death march and song of grieving.The German word “Abgang” has an innocent meaning of “exit,” but the Nazis used it as a signal that concentration camp prisoners were there to be sent off and murdered.My first movement, Abgang, is based on two musical fragments. It begins with a quote of a Hebraic melody that Viktor Ullmann used as a basis for variations in his Piano Sonata No. 7 that he was working on while in Theresienstadt. Next is a short quote of a fox trot that was arranged by a composer (only identified by his prisoner-number) for performance in Auschwitz. What follows is a purely musical, but deeply personal exploration.After finishing the movement, I felt it necessary to add a second movement, Kaddish, which is a prayer recited in mourning, without a single mention of death, but celebrating God, peace, and life. The Kaddish appears in the score and parts in an English translation (along with some Aramaic). It is not meant to be spoken or sung, but to guide the performers in giving meaning to the musical phrases.
SKU: PR.144401290
ISBN 9781491136560. UPC: 680160025893.
SKU: PR.14440757S
ISBN 9781491136539. UPC: 680160689347.
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Septet is the first major work written for this combination of instruments, and the pioneering process was greatly enjoyed by the composer: “While the instrumentation of the Septet provides an almost orchestral palette, and it was interesting to explore that, I love the idea of seven artist-performers, each of whom can be a stunning virtuoso one moment and a thoughtful partner the next, and I relish the electricity that results from those shifting roles.” Septet was written for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet, to whom it is dedicated. String parts available on rental. For advanced ensembles. Duration: 24’.Writing music is a labor of love for me. My greatest joy is writing for performers whom I can be sure will not only deliver the notes accurately, but will project the meaning behind the notes. To have performers in the wings who will bring their own imagination and deep understanding to a performance is an inspiration to me. So I approached the writing of my Septet for the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio and the Miami String Quartet with great anticipation and pleasure.The fact that there is no model for such a Septet made the pre-composition process a most enjoyable exploration. I liked the idea of having two strong ensemble personalities in the mix, and I thought that there must be some sort of challenging interchange at the outset. The first movement, “Introductions,” (note the plural) starts with the piano trio throwing down the gauntlet and the string quartet entering quietly, but gradually (almost one by one) joining with the trio to make a true septet with multi-faceted relations. The second movement, “Quasi una Passacaglia,” is based on a repeated phrase pattern. Part of the formal design is a contrast between “Baroque” style performance and modern, more romantic ways of playing. “Games,” the third movement, involves much playful interplay and the fourth movement, “Au revoir,” offers both reminiscence and farewell – not “good-bye,” but “until we meet again.”Throughout the piece, two of my persistent fascinations are explored: firstly, my interest in designing initial material that can evolve into large-scale form, and secondly, the pleasure I take in chamber music. While the instrumentation of the Septet provides an almost orchestral palette and it was interesting to explore that, I love the idea of 7 artist-performers, each of whom can be a stunning virtuoso one moment and a thoughtful partner the next, and I relish the electricity that results form those shifting roles.
SKU: PR.144407570
ISBN 9781491136522. UPC: 680160689330.
