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John Hood's Reviews
Elliott Carter (1908-2012)
Nationality:
American
Born: December 11, 1908, New York Died: November 5, 2012, New York (age 103)
String Quartet No. 1
(for 2 violins, viola and cello)
| 12:02 | I. | Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole | |
| 12:36 | II. | Allegro scorrevole - Adagio | |
| 14:02 | III. | Variations |
Duration: 38 minutes (approximately)
Composed:
1951 (age 42-43)
4 recordings,
17 videos
autoopen
autoplay
9:06
Pacifica Quartet
I.
Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole
(part 1 of 2)
3:29
Pacifica Quartet
I.
Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole
(part 2 of 2)
1:20
Pacifica Quartet
II.
Allegro scorrevole - Adagio
(part 1 of 2)
11:59
Pacifica Quartet
II.
Allegro scorrevole - Adagio
(part 2 of 2)
13:34
Pacifica Quartet
III.
Variations
9:33
Juilliard String Quartet
I.
Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole
(part 1 of 2)
3:44
Juilliard String Quartet
I.
Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole
(part 2 of 2)
1:19
Juilliard String Quartet
II.
Allegro scorrevole - Adagio
(part 1 of 2)
12:15
Juilliard String Quartet
II.
Allegro scorrevole - Adagio
(part 2 of 2)
15:08
Juilliard String Quartet
III.
Variations
9:54
Unknown ensemble
(part 1 of 4)
9:54
Unknown ensemble
(part 2 of 4)
9:54
Unknown ensemble
(part 3 of 4)
8:35
Unknown ensemble
(part 4 of 4)
12:02
Composer's Quartet
I.
Fantasia. Maestoso - Allegro scorrevole
12:36
Composer's Quartet
II.
Allegro scorrevole - Adagio
13:25
Composer's Quartet
III.
Variations
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glossary
- adagio [It]—slow tempo, often implying a lyrical, poignant character
- allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
- chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
- fantasia, fantasy, fantazy, fantazia, phantasy, phantasie, fancy, fantasie [G], fantaisie [F] —generally, a piece of music favoring a free flight of expression over strict adherence to formal rules; suggesting an improvisational character. However, there are at least two more specific historical meanings: 1) the fantasia/fantasie/fancy of English Renaissance viol consort music and 2) Cobbett's Phantasie, an early 20th century form of single-movement chamber music inspired by the Renaissance fancy with the goal of stimulating new English chamber or "consort" music.
- maestoso—With dignity and nobility; majestic
- quartet, quatuor [F], quartett [G], quartetto [I], cuarteto [S]—ensemble or work for four players the most important examples being the string quartet and the piano quartet
- scorrevole [It], scorrendo [It]—flowing, gliding
-
string quartet, Streichquartett [G], quatuor à cordes [F], quartetto d'archi [I], quartetto di cordi [I], cuarteto de cuerda [S], vonósnégyes [H]—an ensemble as well as music written for that ensemble comprising 2 violins, viola and cello. This is one of the essential genres / forms / ensembles of chamber music and arguably a critical "core" of "classical" music.
Explore the string quartet. - tema con variazioni, con variazioni, Tema e variazioni, theme and variations, Thema mit Variationen [G], Thème varié [F]—a common movement form featuring an initial theme followed by a series of variations on that theme, each of which adjusts any number of parameters to achieve variety, e.g. tempo, rhythm, key, instrumentation, etc.A challenge to the composers ingenuity and a delight for the listener