Family Group with Aliens

This quartet, my third in as many decades, continues the path of the first two in exploring a structural deployment of larger and smaller pieces, like sculptures around a space. A set of six movements falls into two groups: three of the pieces – the ‘family group’ – essentially express the same piece at different magnifications (and hence different durations, i.e. short: 30”, medium: 3′, and long: 7′); this principle, of exploring the same musical narrative on different scales, has evolved through a number of my works since 2015. The other three pieces – the ‘Aliens’ – are like cousins to these: they all draw on the material of the ‘family’ and so act as commentaries on the main set. This split-level action mixing ‘main’ and ‘supporting’ pieces, by the way, is also found in my previous quartet, Driftwood on Sand (2002) – the work that brought me and Friction Quartet together.

The three ‘Aliens’ each bear the title Reflectaphor – a term coined by Dr John Briggs for something we recognize as being like, but at the same time distinct from, a related item. Where the ‘family group’ differ mainly in scale, therefore, the three Reflectaphor pieces, while they draw on the shared ideas, are highly contrasted in content: (a) is a brief sound-sculpture, while (b) is a passionate slow movement, and (c) is a two-minute elegy for the young Irish composer Danny Barkley, who died in 2018 – quoting, as it does, some materials from his own Belfast Quartet (2014).

The order of the six pieces is left to the performers; however, it is laid down that the two sets must be heard in alternation – like the shuffling of two hands of cards. The intention is that the listener weaves between the main narrative (the ‘family group’) and the reflections upon aspects from within it.

Family Group with Aliens was commissioned by Friction Quartet, and was premiered by them in Old First Concerts, San Francisco, USA on 16th August 2019. Family Group with Aliens is dedicated to Mitzi Palmer.

This product is Printed on Demand and may take several weeks to fulfill. Please order from your favorite retailer.

Additional Information

SKU#: 98-EP73483
ISBN-10: 0577021079
ISBN-13: 9790577021072
Series: Edition Peters
Format: Part(s)
Languages: English
Contributors: By Piers Hellawell
PDF Link