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

Vivian Fung (b. 1975)
Miniatures for Clarinet and String Quartet (2005) (12:08)*
13 I. Floating (1:58)
14 II. Light and Playful (2:27)
  

15 III. Improvisation-like (2:55)
16 IV. A Piacere (4:38)
John Bruce Yeh, clarinet
Maia Quartet

*World Premiere Recording

Vivian Fung (b. 1975)
Miniatures for Clarinet and String Quartet (2005)
Music in the Loft commissioned Miniatures as a memorial to the life of Chicago journalist Ted Shen, a close friend of the series. The composer writes:

Although born to Chinese parents, I grew up in Canada and have lived in New York for the last dozen years, and my life surroundings and musical training have largely been Western-influenced. However, in my work as a composer, I have become increasingly interested in incorporating my Asian identity into my music. Lately, many of my works have been inspired by the folk music of the minority regions of China and the gamelan orchestras of Indonesia. When Music in the Loft approached me to write a new piece for clarinet and string quartet, I turned to the traditional music of the Uighur people of China’s Xinjiang province for inspiration. Occupying a central location on the Silk Road, Xinjiang has been influenced by many different cultures, resulting in a fascinating blend of Han Chinese, Muslim, Uzbek, Kazakh, and Russian influences.

After listening to many recordings of Uighur music, I happened upon a recording of a folk song entitled “Love for Homeland” (Chinese: Gùxiang zhi liàn). That recording featured a melancholic folksinger, accompanied by a guitar-like instrument. The soulfulness of the folksinger’s voice enchanted me. I immediately decided to use that song as the basis for my clarinet quintet, which I called Miniatures because each of the movements is short and offers a little glimpse into the different moods of the folk song.

Miniatures is in four movements, each of which develops material from the folk song “Love for Homeland.” It is a sort of theme and variations, with each of the movements essentially being one variation. However, only in the last movement do I have direct quotations from the folk song. The final movement begins with a clarinet solo evoking the cries of a folksinger from the Chinese countryside, with plucked strings creating the guitar-like accompaniment. The first three movements bring out different sides of the folk song. The first is ethereal as the melody floats in and out of the atmospheric environment. The second movement is very playful and light. The third movement features an exotic scale and the twirling motion of dancers spinning.
~ program note from the Cedille Records website

John Bruce Yeh, clarinet

Maia Quartet