String Quartet No. 2
(2010) | 12 minutes
Commissioned by The Great Wall Quartet
SCORING 2 violins, viola, cello
PREMIERE Great Wall Quartet Concert Tour (2011): Macau Cultural Centre (Macau), Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing), Taipei National University of the Arts (Taipei)
US PREMIERE Dover String Quartet, 10 February 2013 at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York
Recording: ArchiMusic (Taiwan) 18770247
Listen
I. Song
II. Toccata
The Great Wall Quartet. ©Archimusic
Programme Note
My second quartet begins on solo cello and slowly expands to the rest of the ensemble, finally forming a lyrical first movement, Song. A rhythmic and playful Toccata follows, in which non-traditional techniques were utilized to imitate the sound of Guqin, an ancient, plucked seven-string instrument. ©Zhou Tian
Commissioned by the Great Wall Quartet for their inaugural tour and debut album The Great Wall, which was nominated for Best Classical Album and won Best Instrumental Performance at the 24th Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan).
周天 ｜ 第二號絃樂四重奏
I. 歌
II. 托卡塔
在「第二號絃樂四重奏」中，我試著將那舊時的餘音連接起來，並組成新的旋律。樂曲由大提琴開始，連貫地由各個聲部緩緩地奏出，無形中成為了一首「歌」。富有節奏感的第二樂章「托卡塔」，則從古琴的演奏法中得到啟發，結合現代四重奏的表現手法，力求色彩豐富、簡潔明快。作品由長城絃樂四重奏委约、首演，并收录在其首张唱片「長城」中。—周天
《長城 | 長城弦樂四重奏》獲第24屆台灣金曲獎（傳統暨藝術音樂類）最佳演奏獎，並獲最佳專輯提名。
Other Media
Works featuring string quartet
- String Quartet No. 1
- String Quartet No. 2
- Viaje (flute & string quartet)
- Flowing Sleeves (cello, piano & string quartet)
- Morning after the Deluge (violin, piano & string quartet)
- Morning after the Deluge (clarinet, piano & string quartet)
- Red Trees, Wrinkled Cliffs (guitar & string trio)
- Iris and Butterfly (small mixed chorus & string quartet)