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Alasdair Nicolson
Violoncello (String Quartet No. 3 (Slanting Rain))
UES101264-141
Type: Stimme
Format: 210 x 297 mm
Pages: 16
Description
Like the previous quartet, some of the inspiration for this work came from a favourite writer’s poetry, namely the Portuguese author Ferdinand Pessoa; the title of the quartet is also the title of a collection of Pessoa’s poetry. The epigrammatic titles that appear for each short movement are lines from within this writer’s poetry and, though not intended to be programmatic, are evocations of mood and hints of atmospheres without a particular narrative thread.
In constructing this quartet the composer was drawn to another source common to my music, that of the Gaelic song tradition and in particular here the old song O, ‘s tu, ‘s gura tu th’air m’aire (Oh, it’s you who are on my mind) - a song of loss whose sentiments are close to those of the Pessoa. Much of the musical material for the work is taken from this Gaelic melody and on a few occasions it comes to the surface with its rising upturned triadic shape.
The quartet is dedicated to the memory of the composer's mother who passed away in late 2014 and who was no stranger to slanting rain.
More information
Type: Stimme
Format: 210 x 297 mm
Pages: 16