This album features the first recordings of String Quartets Nos. 4 and 5 by Naresh Sohal.
Composer Biography
Naresh Sohal, born in Punjab, had no musical background and first heard Western classical music, Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, on the radio, which changed his life's course.
Composer Biography
After moving to Britain, Naresh Sohal worked as a copyist for Boosey & Hawkes, where he learned about compositional techniques by copying works from Bach to Britten.
Performer Biography
The Piatti Quartet, resident at Kings Place, London, is renowned for its 'profound music making' and 'lyrical warmth' and is committed to commissioning new works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Naresh Sohal's music drew heavily on Indian poetry, philosophical ideas, and texts, but he was not a 'fusion' composer and avoided juxtaposing Western and Indian traditions.
Compositional Technique
Naresh Sohal's music often features free atonality, occasional elements of twelve-tone music, and a free approach to form, unconstrained by convention.
Composer Biography
Naresh Sohal was the first person of Indian origin to establish a successful career as a composer of Western music in the Western world.
