Although Quincy Porter's orchestral works, like his Pulitzer Prize-winning Concerto Concertante, received attention during his lifetime, his posthumous reputation largely rests on his nine string quartets.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Quincy Porter, the composer, favored neo-classicism in his creative thinking, avoiding the influence of Stravinsky or Hindemith that affected many of his American contemporaries.
Compositional Technique
Quincy Porter, the composer, made extensive use of chromatic harmonies and sophisticated rhythms within a melodic context, and his own skill as a violinist and violist influenced his idiomatic string writing.
Performer Biography
The Ives Quartet, the performing ensemble, was formerly the Stanford String Quartet and was in residence at Stanford University from 1983-98 before seeking greater artistic independence.
Composer Biography
Quincy Porter, the composer, received a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship in 1928, which allowed him a three-year stay in Paris to develop his mature works.
Composer Biography
Quincy Porter, the composer, studied at Yale University with Horatio Parker, who had also taught Charles Ives, a quarter-century earlier.
Recording & Production
This recording was made possible with assistance from the Kleiner Family Foundation and the Friends of the Ives Quartet, the performing ensemble.
