DCLX. XENAKIS, Iannis: Psappha for Solo Percussion

DCLX. XENAKIS, Iannis (1922-2001)

Psappha for Solo Percussion (1975)
Ying-Hsueh Chen, percussion
(14:17)

Psaphha = Sappho

DCLIX. MARTINŮ, Bohuslav: String Quartet #3

DCLIX. MARTINŮ, Bohuslav (1890-1959)

String Quartet #3 (1929)
1. Allegro (4:24)
2. Andante (4:40)
3. Vivo (3:19)
Martinů Quartet

First movement

• Plucked cello chords
• off beat col legno rhythm in viola
• muted tremolo in second violin
• main motif in first violin
  
  

The energy never lets up, until resolving into this pacific finish:

Second movement

The viola is out front for most of this thick-textured movement ...

The cello takes over towards the end:

Third movement

It is possible Martinů had heard either or both of Bartók's Third and Fourth Quartets -- both written just a few years prior -- but no matter; Martinů is his own man here.

The music flies by at an outrageous tempo, like some great big bird flying through a clear blue sky:

DCLVIII. MATMOS: Supreme Balloon

DCLVIII. MATMOS

Supreme Balloon (2008)

DCLVII. ERB, Donald: The Devil's Quickstep

DCLVII. ERB, Donald (1927-2008)

The Devil's Quickstep (1982)
Alexandria Hoffman, flute, piccolo
Zachary West, clarinet, bass clarinet
Beatrice Hsieh, violin
Daniel Blumhard, cello
Taylor Flowers, keyboards
Taylor Newman, percussion
Dean Buck, cond.
(10:41)

DCLVI. MESSIAEN, Olivier: Le Merle Noir

DCLVI. MESSIAEN, Olivier (1908-1992)

Le Merle Noir (1952)
Christian Lardé, flute
Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen, piano
[scrolling score]
(6:02)

DCLV. HAYDN, Franz Joseph: Baryton Trio #36 in D Major

DCLV. HAYDN, Franz Joseph (1732-1809)

Baryton Trio #36 in D Major
1. Adagio
2. Allegro moderato
3. Minuetto
Esterhazy Ensemble
(12:09)

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

DCLIV. STRAVINSKY, Igor: Violin Concerto

DCLIV. STRAVINSKY, Igor (1882-1971)

Violin Concerto (1931)
1. Toccata
2. Aria I
3. Aria II
4. Capriccio
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin
Frankfurt Radio Symphony
Andrés Orozco-Estrada, cond.
(23:28)

Stravinsky needed a violinist to help avoid the pitfalls of writing unplayable material. The Polish-American Samuel Dushkin turned out to be the ticket.

One day, the two musicians were sitting in a Parisian restaurant, and Stravinsky took out a piece of paper and wrote down this chord

and asked Dushkin if it could be played. The violinist replied that he had never seen such a chord with such an enormous stretch from the E to the top A, and said, "No."

Stravinsky said sadly, "Quel dommage."

When Dushkin returned home, he tried it, and to his astonishment found that the stretch of the 11th (E to A) was relatively easy to play.

"When the Concerto was finished, more than six months later, I understood his disappointment when I first said 'No.' This chord, in a different dress, begins each of the four movements."

Stravinsky himself calls the chord his "passport" to the Concerto.

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

Fourth movement