American String Quartets Vol.2: 1900-1950
(Vox Box SVBX 5305) Released in 1974From the Booklet (enclosed):
This set is the last album in a three-volume survey of American string quartet literature. The two previous released companion albums are titled "The Early American String Quartet" (Vox Box SVBX 5301) and "The Avant Garde String Quartet in the U.S.A." (Vox Box 5306). The first album contains works historically ranging from a string quartet attributed to Benjamin Franklin to works by such early twentieth-century American composers as George Chadwick and Charles Griffes, and are all performed by the the Kohon String Quartet. The second album released contains works written since 1950, and is illustrative of the manifold approaches to structure, the presence (or absence) of various types of controls, and the use of a variety of musical materials which have, for the most part, occurred since the end of the Second World War. The earliest work represented in that album is John Cage's String Quartet In Four Parts (1950) and the most recent is George Crumb's Black Angels (1970). These works are performed by the Concord String Quartet. In this third, and concluding, album of the series the Kohon String Quartet returns to perform works spanning from the early decades of this century through the early 1960's.These, too, are illustrative of the wide range of styles that flourished during that period.
In his notes for the album containing the avant garde works, Lejaren Hiller states that "Stylistic heterogeneity and healthy eclecticism have always been characteristic traits of American music..." and the works contained in this album no less confirm the validity of that observation.The composers represented here possess strongly independent personal styles, and they all show a manifold desire to explore new melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials in their individual ways.For the most part, however, they do so within the confines of traditional homophonic and polyphonic forms.
The composers represented in this album are also indicative of the coming of age of American music.(...)
Note:
"The Avant Garde String Quartet in the U.S.A." can be found in The Closet.
"The Early American String Quartet" will be posted in the near future.
American String Quartets Vol.2: 1900-1950
(Vox Box SVBX 5305) Released in 1974
The Kohon Quartet:
Harold Kohon: 1st Violin
Isadora Kohon: 2nd Violin
Eugene Dengel: Viola
W.Ted Hoyle: Cello
Side 1:
Peter Mennin: String Quartet No.2 (1951)
1: Allegro ardentemente (7:45)
2: Prestissimo (2:20)
3: Adagio semplice (4:03)
4: Allegro focosamente (3:15)
Aaron Copland: Two Pieces For String Quartet (1923-28)
1: Lento molto (5:04)
2: Rondino (3:55)
side 2:
Walter Piston: String Quartet No.5 (ca.1962)
1: Allegro (4:35)
2: Adagio (7:35)
3: Allegro (4:25)
George Gershwin: Lullabye For String Quartet (ca.1920) (11:35)
side 3:
Virgil Thomson: String Quartet No.2 (1932)
1: Allegro moderato (6:21)
2: Tempo di Valse (3:54)
3: Adagio sostenuto (4:52)
4: Allegretto (6:58)
Charles Ives: Scherzo For 2 Vioins, Viola and Cello (1903-14) (1:44)
side 4:
William Schuman: String Quartet No.3 (1939)
1: Introduction and Fugue (7:37)
2: Intermezzo (7:38)
3: Rondo-Variations (8:21)
side 5:
Roger Sessions: Second String Quartet (1951) (beginning) (27:16)
1: Lento;
2: Allegro appassionata Alla breve;
3: Andante tranquillo;
4: Presto
side 6:
Roger Sessions: Second String Quartet (conclusion)
5: Adagio (5:21)
Howard Hanson: Quartet In One Movement,Opus 23 (ca.1927) (17:50)
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