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

Roxanna Panufnik's Let Me B for Piano Quartet.Let me B (for piano quartet) is so-called because the entire piece centres around the note B being passed like a sort of relay baton between each of the players. It falls into two sections - the first section is quite fast and melodramatic and the second section slower and rather romantic is actually borrowed from a slow movement of my piano trio. - Roxanna PanufnikCommission made possible by the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust.

?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?.

Arranged From The Piano Duet K521-This Piano quartet started life as Mozart's Piano duet K521. John Cooley's arrangement of it for Piano quartet is very successful and brings this lovely piece into the hands of string players.

This work was commissioned by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music for their 50th Music season and 5th Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival. The first performance was given by the Los Angeles Piano Quartet in Tucson Arizona in March 1998.