Ricardo Lorenz (b. 1961)
1 Bachangó (1984) (5:05)*
Marta Aznavoorian, piano
  

Carter Pann (b. 1972)
Differences for cello and piano (1998) (13:43)*
2 I. Strand (2:02)
3 II. Air (3:41)
4 III. Country Dance (3:04)
  

5 IV. Blues (2:59)
6 V. Song (1:44)
David Ying, cello
Elinor Freer, piano

Pierre Jalbert (b. 1967)
Trio for violin, cello, and piano (1998) (16:34)
7 I. Life Cycle (8:32)
  

8 II. Agnus Dei (7:57)
Lincoln Trio

Stacy Garrop (b. 1969)
String Quartet No. 2: Demons and Angels (2005) (30:25)*
9 I. Demonic Spirits (7:55)
10 II. Song of the Angels (3:54)
11 III. Inner Demons (7:35)
  

12 IV. Broken Spirit (10:50)
Biava Quartet

Stacy Garrop (b. 1969)
String Quartet No. 2: Demons and Angels (2005)
Music in the Loft commissioned the first two movements of String Quartet No. 2: Demons and Angels for performance by the Biava Quartet on its 2004/2005 concert series. The Loft subsequently commissioned the rest of the piece, premiered in its entirety by the Biava Quartet at Yale University in November 2005. The work received its Chicago premiere at Music in the Loft in October 2006.

Disguised demons, forgiving angels, tortured human souls. String Quartet No. 2: Demons and Angels tells the story of a man who thought his actions were guided by the forces of good, only to discover that he has lost his mind and wreaked havoc on earth by murdering five people.

The first two movements explore the man’s personality. I. “Demonic Spirits” addresses his dark persona. The movement begins with a jolting chord played five times, one for each murder. These chords return at poignant moments throughout the piece. This movement contains two main themes: the first theme is very militaristic and sharp, while the second theme is impishly sinister.

II. “Song of the Angels” remembers the goodness in him before his personality transformed. The cello has a long solo whose material was created by blending elements of the first movement’s themes, thus representing how evil and good can spring from the same roots.

III. “Inner Demons” depicts the man as he loses his mind. This movement contains four themes: a tarantella, a demented waltz, a scherzo, and the Appalachian folk hymn “The Wayfaring Stranger.” The themes are stated quite briskly until arriving at the hymn. This theme consumes the man; it destroys his mind and he melts down. As his mind is slowly rebuilt, his thoughts become increasingly chaotic, until elements of all four themes are heard simultaneously. Finally, the hymn asserts itself above all, and we hear the man commit the five murders that opened the first movement.

The piece concludes with IV. “Broken Spirit.” This movement explores his devastation at what he has done. The man is caught and confined to life in prison. With a repetitive four note boxlike motive, the man paces in his cell while his thoughts alternate between extreme violence and pleading hope that, by confessing his crimes, he can be saved by the grace of an angel.
~ program note from the Cedille Records website

Biava Quartet