This album features the world premiere recordings of three recent Charles Wuorinen pieces: Scherzo, Viola Variations, and Second Piano Quintet.
Performer Biography
Peter Serkin, the pianist on this album, comes from a rich musical heritage; his grandfather was violinist and composer Adolf Busch, and his father was pianist Rudolf Serkin.
Composition History
The First String Quartet is considered a watershed work in Charles Wuorinen's output.
Compositional Technique
Extreme virtuosity, always completely idiomatic to the instrument, is a hallmark of Charles Wuorinen's compositions, especially for the piano, his own instrument.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Charles Wuorinen's musical language is characterized by unapologetically modernist total chromaticism, rigorous structural procedures, and intense rhythmic complexity.
Compositional Technique
Charles Wuorinen's Viola Variations explores the unique capabilities of the viola, such as slides from its lowest string and its ability to sashay across registers.
Compositional Technique
The Second Piano Quintet features an unorthodox formal design where the third (fast) movement is displaced by the fourth (slow) movement, only to resume and conclude the piece after the fourth movement has finished.
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Respighi: Piano Quintet in F Minor / String Quartet in D Minor / 6 Pieces for Violin and Piano
Dvořák: String Quartet No. 10, String Quintet No. 2; Notturno in B Major
