Americana

(1997-1998)
For String Quartet

Duration: ca. 8½ minutes

First performance:
March 29, 1998
at Northern Illinois University by the

Avalon Quartet

Blaise Magnière - violin
Mary Wang - violin
Anthea Kreston - viola
Katie Schlaikjer - violoncello

Second performance:
November 3, 1999
at Northern Illinois University by the

Lipatti Quartet

Calin Lupanu - violin
Monica Boboc - violin
Chloe Kline - viola
Radu Nagy - violoncello

Program Notes

Americana emerged out of a melody I had written in the mid-90s, which languished in the back of my mind for some time. This basic tune, as well as the recurring connecting interlude, has a very American folk-like character. Before starting the work in late 1997, I had decided that I wanted to use variation technique and began to investigate possible existing themes which I could use. It then occurred to me that I already had an original tune with which I had done nothing. Most of this short piece for string quartet is derived in some way from this folk-like tune and its interlude, resulting in something resembling a theme and variations, but certainly not in the "classical" sense. At a few points, these two melodic ideas are combined to form new "variations." Americana is a rather simple piece, composed with a conservative, but tried-and-true harmonic language, which is exactly what I felt that the tune on which it is based really deserved. In this quartet, my goal was to capture the American spirit in a similar way that composers like Aaron Copland and William Schuman had done earlier in the twentieth century. I have also arranged Americana for string orchestra.

View the score
Download an mp3