Aphorisms (12)

Morton Gould's The Early Bird from 'Quotations' for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices and Wind Orchestra. Piano reduction.This work was commissioned by L. Anthony Fisher for the New York Choral Society Robert DeComier conductor and first performed by them on January 28 1983 at Carnegie Hall.The composer after thinking over the possible approaches to a choral work found the ide of platitudes common sayings and poetic referenmces challanging and stimulating. As 'Quotations' evolved he found that these sayings evoked nostalgic momories of his own childhood in Richmond Hill New York where he was reared on such aphorisms as 'theearly bird catches the worm ' 'a stitch in time saves nine ' 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'After setting the scene in Richmond Hill the piece begins with Hallelujah Amen the common shout for joy and closing whisper of all religions. An antiphonal series of platitudes follows and then moves to more complex secular litanies the 'ballads ' or stories of young love and old age and the precariousness of life which have been told and retold through the ages. In the last movement the religious litany resumes with 'ashes to ashes dust to dust' echoing the earlier prosaic motif 'here today gone tomorrow ' or as Gould finally writes 'time's up!'

There's a taxi waiting for Chekhov, but he'd rather go on foot.. Par EOTVOS PETER. Right at the beginning, this funny encore piece has the string quartet imitate the squawking horn of a car from 1901. The following polyrhythmic and somewhat slow chorale may suggest that Chekhov actually did not make his decision easy for himself… 'Encore' is dedicated to Peter Eötvös' Hungarian fellow composer and master of aphorism, György Kurtág, on the occasion of his 80th birthday./ Répertoire / Quatuor à Cordes

Description Intermediate collection. Edited by Richard Deering with performance notes to each piece. Songlist A Touch Of Contrast (Sebastian Forbes) Aphorism (Sebastian Forbes) Black And White (Peter Dickinson) Homeward (James Wilson) I'm Late Again (Bryan Kelly) Jack Be Nimble (Philip Martin) Kyle Song (Sally Beamish) Lullaby (James Patten) Melting (John Paynter) Night Song (Eric Hudes) No.5 From '5 Miniature Pieces' Prelude (Patric Standford) Spanish Dance (Op.12 No.2) [Moszkowski, Moritz] The Hedley Kow (Rory Boyle) Trembling Leaves (Stanley Glasser)