Jessie Montgomery - Strum: Music for Strings (2015) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist
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01. Starburst
02. Source Code
03. Break Away: I. Lilting
04. Break Away: II. Songbird
05. Break Away: III. Smoke
06. Break Away: IV. Quick Pass
07. Break Away: V. Break Away
08. Rhapsody No. 1
09. Banner
10. Strum

Jessie Montgomery wrote, 'Strum is the culmination of several versions of a string quintet I wrote in 2006. It was originally composed for the Providence String Quartet and guests of Community MusicWorks Players, then arranged for string quartet in 2008 with several small revisions. In 2012 the piece underwent its final revisions with a rewrite of both the introduction and the ending for the Catalyst Quartet in a performance celebrating the 15th Annual Sphinx Competition. Originally conceived for a quintet of two violins, viola and two cellos, the voicing is often spread over the ensemble, giving the music an expansive sound. Within Strum, I utilized ‘texture motives,' layers of rhythmic or harmonic ostinatos [repeating figures] to form a bed of sound for melodies to weave in and out. The strumming pizzicato serves as a ‘texture motive' and the primary driving rhythmic underpinning of the piece. Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement, Strum has a kind of narrative that begins with fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration.'

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