Summary: As the title of this album suggests, AN ARC OF QUARTETS gives listeners unique access to a continuum of composer Michael G. Cunningham’s intricate and inviting string music. Five international string ensembles present the album’s seven compositions, including Sirius Quartet from New York; The Moravian Quartet from the Czech Republic; the Millennium Quartet from Florida; and The Pedroia Quartet and New England String Quartet, both from Massachusetts. These groups’ performances of Cunningham’s work present the hallmarks of his style of string writing, which is defined by a focus on rhythm, melody, and texture, as well as his gentle, yet often dissonant, harmonic language. Although these quartets contain a wide range of sounds and styles, Cunningham maintains a reliable attraction to tense, lyrical melodies, and energetic rhythms. One specific string effect that pervades these works is the glissando, or slide sound, that is produced easily on string instruments. In the middle of String Quartet No. 3, we can hear glissandi spangle an all-pizzicato section, while in the “Zestful” movement of String Quartet No. 5, these sliding gestures are decorated with a trill. This piece’s marriage of Cunningham’s typical style with uncontrollable, rhythmic energy marks it as one of the more abstract works on the album. Cunningham’s quartets utilize special sounds as accents to a core of intriguing textures, evocative melodies, and momentum-building rhythms, all of which remain compelling throughout the album. The composer’s impressive skill at creating musical lines is displayed particularly strongly in the “Song and Fantasia” movement of his String Quartet No. 1, a piece defined by both soulful lyricism and intense contrapuntal motion. Overall, one can admire both the experimentation and consistency present in Cunningham’s string music, as highlighted by the works included on AN ARC OF QUARTETS. The quality of each of these pieces speaks to the strength of his approach to composition. Available now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p344/An_Arc_of_Quartets.html DISC ONE QUARTET NO. 1 OPUS 10/14 1959 Sirius Quartet | Fung Chern Hwei violin Gregor Huebner violin Ron Lawrence viola Jeremy Harman cello 01 I. Easter Variations 02 II. Song and Fantasia Quartet No. 2 THREE SATIRES Opus 22 1967 Sirius Quartet | Fung Chern Hwei violin Gregor Huebner violin Ron Lawrence viola Jeremy Harman cello 03 I. Brusque 04 II. Candidly 05 III. Crisp and Energetic Quartet No. 3 PARTITIONS Opus 69 1975 The Moravian Quartet | Vít Mužík violin Igor Kopyt violin Dominika Mužíková viola Jiří Fajkus cello 06 I. quarter note = circa 70 07 II. 08 III. 09 IV. Quartet No. 4 INTERLACINGS Opus 117 1985 The Pedroia Quartet | Jae Cosmo Lee violin Rohan Gregory violin Peter Sulski viola Jaques Wood cello 10 I. Beginning 11 II. Scherzo 12 III. Adagio 13 IV. Finale DISC TWO Quartet No. 5 AGGREGATES Opus 137 1988 The New England String Quartet | Julia Okrusko violin Konstantin Rybakov violin Lilit Muradyan voila Ming-Hui Lin cello 1 I. Zestful 2 II. Languid 3 III. Spirited Quartet No. 6 DIGITAL ISORHYTHM Opus 215 2001 The Millennium Quartet | Jorge Aguirre violin Simon LaPointe violin Beverly Kane Baker viola Michael Daniels cello 4 I. Caleando/Slargando 5 II. Canso 6 III. Energico Quartet No. 7 BACK HOME Opus 241 2005 The Moravian Quartet | Vít Mužík violin Igor Kopyt violin Dominika Mužíková viola Jiří Fajkus cello 7 I. Con Carita 8 II. Andante 9 III. Vivace 10 IV. Con Slancio Available now at: http://www.classicalsavings.com/store/p344/An_Arc_of_Quartets.html
