American Works for String Quartet

Three generations of fine American composers are represented on this disc. Copland's "Movements" and "Two Pieces" are his only works for string quartet as is the "First Quartet" of the great Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Robert Ward. About this work he has written: "By the time of the composition of the "First String Quartet," I had reached the conclusion that two cardinal principles prevailed in those works, new or old, which makes a lasting impression on the listener. The first is that the work must be based on provocative musical ideas that are clearly stated and, in the case of longer works, are stimulating to the composer's creative powers. The second is that an aesthetically satisfying work unfolds in sounds which produce waves of alternating tension and relaxation in the listeners, commanding their full attention. I had arrived at these conclusions by analyzing many works from many musical periods." This string quartet is an important work in Dr. Ward's output, appealing and imaginative. Stephen Jaffe was born in Washington, DC. He was trained in composition at the University of Pennsylvania and the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva, Switzerland. To date, this is the only string quartet that Mr. Jaffe has composed. In 1991, it was one of four winners in the Kennedy Center Freidheim Awards for Excellence in Chamber Music Composition. Currently he serves on the music faculty of Duke University. This is the world premiere recording of the quartet.