Robert Still sought advice from Hans Keller, an Austrian émigré trained in Schoenberg's twelve-tone system, to adopt new ways of writing music outside the tonal system.
Performer Biography
The Villiers Quartet, named after Villiers Street in London, is known for its explosive energy and stylistic refinement, performing both established works and contemporary pieces.
Recording & Production
These are world première recordings of Robert Still's Four String Quartets, with the performance material prepared by James Dickenson, leader of the Villiers Quartet.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Still's compositional career evolved from an inclination towards folk-song and early music, influenced by Vaughan Williams, to a modern, European-influenced method that abandoned tonal writing.
Compositional Technique
The first two string quartets by Robert Still display admiration for pre-classical models and folk-song influences, while the last two are written 'without key'.
Composer Biography
Robert Still, the composer, was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Oxford, where he achieved a 'blue' for real tennis.
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