David Liptak

Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos

Composer's Note:

The "Sextet" for strings is a suite of four movements bearing titles that suggest dance suite movements by J.S. Bach. It is written for two violins, two violas, and two celli, and the 2nd movement, "Aria," features the 1st viola in a primary and soloist role. The 1st movement, "Prelude," and 4th movement, "Gigue," appear in the customary positions these movements are found in Bach's keyboard English Suites and Partitas. The 3rd movement is titled "Fugue," and the original fugue that was written first is subsequently obscured by layers of distorted or contrasting musical materials. The diminished presence of the original fugue can be perceived until it yields to the demands of the new sounds that it joins in faded memory.