Quartets (2006)

GRADE 5 • 9:00 • published by Ludwig Masters Publications

Performance: University of Texas at El Paso | Conductor: Ron Hufstader

PROGRAM NOTES

Commissioned by and dedicated to the North Carolina Central District Bandmasters Association, Quartets is a unique work exposing a multitude of quartets existing within the full ensemble, hence the title “Quartets”.  During the use of transparent and exposed textures utilized in many compositions, composers tend to use a combination of instrumental colors that seem fitting and appropriate for a desired texture.  In Quartets, Composer Roger Cichy relies on tradition quartets to fulfill the instrumental colors during those instances when the musical textures become transparent and exposed.  Although sometimes brief, Cichy was able to make use of fourteen different quartets within the composition.  Quartets contains a total of twenty moments where a quartet is used as some quartets are used more than once.  

The following traditional quartets have been made use of during this piece:

Flute quartet (3 flutes, 1 piccolo)
Clarinet quartet (mixed: 2 Bb sopranos, 1 Eb alto, and 1 bass)
Clarinet quartet (like:  4 Bb sopranos)
Double Reed Quartet (2 oboes, 2 bassoons)
Saxophone quartet (2 altos, 1 tenor, 1 baritone)
Woodwind quartet (1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 Bb clarinet, 1 bassoon)
Flute/Clarinet quartet (2 flutes, 2 Bb clarinets)
Trumpet quartet (4 Bb trumpets)
Trumpet/Trombone Quartet (2 Bb trumpets, 2 trombones)
Horn quartet (4 horns)
Trombone quartet (4 trombones)
Euphonium/Tuba quartet (2 euphoniums, 2 tubas)
Brass quartet (2 Bb trumpets, 1 horn, 1 trombone)
Percussion quartet (multiple percussion)

INSTRUMENTATION

Winds: Piccolo, Flute 1 & 2, Oboe 1 & 2, Bassoon 1 & 2, Bb Clarinet 1 - 3, Eb Alto Clarinet, Bb Bass Clarinet, Eb Alto Saxophones 1 & 2, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Eb Baritone Saxophone

Brass: Bb Trumpet 1 - 3, F Horn 1 - 4, Trombone 1 - 3, Euphonium, Tuba

Percussion: Timpani, Percussion 1 (wood block, bass drum, snare drum, cabasa, bar chimes, finger cymbals, suspended cymbal, claves), Percussion 2 (4 concert toms, crash cymbals, slap stick, triangle, hi-hat, conga drums, suspended cymbal, tambourine, vibraslap, cowbell, claves), Percussion 3 (xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, orchestra bells, chimes)

Strings: String Bass