STRING QUARTET No. 2: For Louise and Aaron

2013 Review by Jason Hoogerhyde

"String Quartet No. 2 (2008), the most recent work on the [Metier] CD, is an homage to Aaron Copland and artist Louise Nevelson. The single movement weaves together an abandoned tone row from Copland’s catalog, a lullaby used by him in several works, as well as spoken quotations pulled from the writings of Copland and Nevelson. This composition bears little resemblance to Copland’s signature harmonic or textural languages, with the exception of a relatively brief, lush progression at the movement’s midpoint. Instead, the work gravitates back and forth between (or occasionally overlaps) darkly lyrical passages and agitated fragments, reflecting the disjunct nature of Nevelson’s sculptural work. ..."