VELVET SKIES, for string quartet | The Maxwell Quartet | 2012 by Tom Harrold published on 2012-11-26T15:25:23Z PREMIÈRE PERFORMANCE: The Maxwell String Quartet http://www.maxwellstringquartet.com/ Friday 16th November 2012, Cairns Church, Glasgow Part of the Milngavie Music Club 2012-2013 International Concert Series Violins: George Smith and Gordon Bragg Viola: Ian Anderson Violoncello: Duncan Strachan Velvet Skies is scored for string quartet, and was commissioned, with financial assistance from East Dunbartonshire Arts Council and EMS, by Milngavie Music Club (Glasgow) to celebrate the Club’s 70th Anniversary. Reflective, restrained solo lines coloured by bubbling textures and chilling harmonics are used to conjure the imagery of a darkening sky at dusk. Characterised by scampering lines, the middle section’s quiet energy quickly evaporates; the heat of the day disappearing into the cool of the sky. This theme of the evaporation of musical material continues in the final section, with the ensemble ‘clearing the air’ for the emergence of the viola. This simple viola melody in the final section makes use of the same melodic material found in the opening violin line, and, gradually raising into the upper-echelons of the viola’s range and with a sparse accompaniment, the work ends with the energy and light disappearing into the deep of the night. Genre Classicalcontemporary
