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String Quartet No. 1 (2011)

Available from the Canadian Music Centre (CMC)

Samples
  • String Quartet
    Full Score pdf
Instrumentation:String Quartet
Genre:Chamber Music without Piano

Commissioner: Penderecki String Quartet

Dedication: for Nancy

Premiere: Penderecki String Quartet, Chalmers United Church, Kingston, ON, on January 15, 2012.

Duration: 26 minutes

Movements:

  1. Allegro
  2. Adagio espressivo
  3. Vivace—Poco meno mosso—Vivace
  4. Allegro energico

Program Note: While John Burge has written a significant amount of music for string instruments over the years, at the age of fifty he is perhaps coming a bit late to the string quartet genre.  As such, he is very appreciative of the Penderecki String Quartet’s offer to commission this composition.  Composers have often developed their most intimate and abstract musical thoughts in their string quartets and Burge’s first quartet takes a similar initial starting point by following the standard design of four contrasting movements.  The first movement, through a process of on-going variation, develops the opening melodic phrase initially presented in unison by all the strings.  The second movement is the expressive heart of the work and is built around an expressive solo for the cello.  The fast scherzo that follows makes use of a variety of timbres and registers and features a polytonal trio section that juxtaposes a quirky violin solo in F major with a pizzicato accompaniment in D major.  The finale displays a rhythmically active foreground that powers the music along to the end with only a few brief respites.  This quartet is dedicated to the composer’s wife, Nancy, herself a cellist, and was premiered by the Penderecki Quartet in 2012, the year of their thirtieth wedding anniversary.

Full score and parts are available from the Canadian Music Centre for purchase (printable pdf or mail order), libary loan or nonprintable pdf for review purposes: String Quartet (CMC)