Par ELFMAN DANNY. Danny Elfman?s Piano Quartet comprises thematic variations for piano and string trio cast in five movements: Ein Ding, Kinderspott, Duett für Vier, Ruhig and Die Wolfsjungen. The idea behind the work stems from a familiar children?s playground taunt which can be heard in the second movement. The work playfully cycles through a variety of moods and textures, from the agitated intensity of the first movement so reminiscent of the composer?s iconic film music, through to the delicate Adagio, all culminating in Elfman?s energetic and impassioned finale. / Date parution : 2022-04-05/ Répertoire / Quatuor avec Piano

Piers Hellawell's Hall Of Mirrors for Piano Quartet.Hall Of Mirrors was my first contribution to the Schubert Ensemble's unique initiative to bring practicable chamber music to young string players and pianists. It was written in summer of 1998 in the wake of my 'full-scale' piano quartet The Building Of Curves itself a commission from the Schubert Ensemble and was first performed at the Dartington Summer School. Hall Of Mirrors is also scored for piano quartet although the viola part is playable by a second violin and is thus scored in the treble clef.At the suggestion of the Ensemble I sought to provide an analogue of the larger work ascaled-down expression that used materials clearly related to its parent. I believe that the success of this project relies in large part on its new pieces being genuinely representative of their composers rather than mere exercises that provide a product. Hall Of Mirrors therefore tries to establish a similarly unsettled atmosphere to that of the second movement of The Building of Curves and it uses the same open-string C/D ostinato for cello and nightmarish free glissandi for violin - both materials that can be impressively brought off by a player of limited virtuosity! Hall Of Mirrors was generously commissioned by Jane Ferguson. Its title indicates a reshaping of some features of the larger edifice The Building of Curves. - Piers Hellawell

Par LEIVISKA HELVI. Finnish composer Helvi Leiviskä (1902-1982) created a broad-based output of orchestral works, solo songs and chamber music. Her style could be described as moderate modernism, deriving influences from multiple sources such as late Romanticism, Symbolism, Expressionism, Existentialism and Neo-Classicism. Leiviskä's output is characterised by philosophical and religious themes, images of nature and narrative structures. Many of her works focus on human existential angst and spiritual searching and growth. Helvi Leiviskä originally completed her Piano Quartet in A major op. 1 in 1926 but revised it a decade later, in 1935. Written for the traditional piano quartet lineup (violin, viola, cello and piano), the work is in three movements and has a duration of about 25 minutes. It features religious and ecstatic imagery such as may be found in French, German or Russian neo-Romantic styles. Leiviskä's Piano Quartet is considered one of the cornerstones of her chamber music output. Its early version was premiered in two parts at student recitals of the Helsinki Music Institute (the 1st movement in 1925 and the 2nd and 3rd movements in 1926). The revised version was performed in full by Timo Mikkilä (piano), Sulo Aro (violin), Ilmo Ranta (viola) and Pentti Rautawaara (cello) on Finnish radio in 1939. The work was also on the programme of Leiviskä's second composition concert in 1945, being performed on that occasion by Jussi Jalas (piano), Erik Cronvall (violin), Erik Karma (viola) and Yrjö Selin (cello). Two commercial recordings have been released (Finlandia Classics 2012 and Telos Music 2016). It is published for the first time 2022 with an extensive foreword by Susanna Välimäki. The product includes the full score (piano part) and a set of string parts. Duration: c. 25'. Have a look inside by clicking 'sample'. / Date parution : 2022-05-31/ Répertoire / Quatuor avec Piano

Ed Hughes' Secret Sky for Piano Quartet.Secret Sky was commissioned by the Schubert Ensemble's Chamber Music 2000 project and has been performed by school children in the south west of England and in the Purcell Room by music college students. The piece lasts 4 minutes and aims to create an evocative sound scape through pools of modal harmony created by a mix of piano repeating patterns and melodies in the 3 strings. As in all my work the ebb and flow of line is important to the development tensions and resolutions of the piece. The piece is probably suitable for players of the standard of at least Grade 6. It can be performed either by violin viola cello andpiano or by 2 violins cello and piano. - Ed HughesCommission made possible by Michael McLaren for his daughter Iona McLaren.

Arrangeur : Bandur, Markus / Edited from the Text of the Carl Maria von Weber Complete Edition / violin, viola, cello and piano

?In the evening we played Robert?s E-Flat Major Quartet for the first time ? and I was once again truly delighted at this beautiful and so youthful work? enthused Clara Schumann in 1842. Inpreparation for this work Schumann had studied String quartets by the Viennese Classical composers. This is why all of the parts in the quartet are treated equally forming a splendid ensemble. Our edition has anextensive critical commentary on account of the difficult source situation. The fold-out page in the Cello part was designed with music practice in mind. The Piano Quartet and the Piano quintet op. 44 referred toas ?sister works? were both composed in Schumann?s ?chamber music year?. For this reason we were publishing them both in the 2006 ?Schumann Year?.