The String Quartets (2cds)
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The String Quartets
with L' Anima string quartet
2 cds
Theodore Antoniou
L' Anima string quartet:
Stella Tsani: 1st Violin
Brunilda-Eugenia Malo: 2nd Violin
Eleftheria Togia: Viola
Lefki Kolovou: Cello
CD1
Divertimento for String quartet
(String quartet no. 3) (2004)
1st mvt Dynamicm
2nd mvt Presto
3rd mvt Molto rubato e melancolico
4th mvt Presto possibile
5th mvt Slow. Dinstant
6th mvt Epilogue
For no reason and from scratch
(String quartet no. 4) (2006)
5 Sholia (Comments)
(String quartet no. 5) (2009)
I, II, III, IV, V
Total time: 47:17
CD2
String quartet no. 1
(1959)
1st mvt Maestoso
2nd mvt (Theme and variations) - Andante
3rd mvt Scherzino pizzicato
4th mvt Allegro
String quartet no. 2
(1998)
I, II, III
String quartet no. 6
(2011)
Total time: 50:51
__________________________
taxes and shipping are included
The String Quartets
with L' Anima string quartet
2 cds
Theodore Antoniou
L' Anima string quartet:
Stella Tsani: 1st Violin
Brunilda-Eugenia Malo: 2nd Violin
Eleftheria Togia: Viola
Lefki Kolovou: Cello
CD1
Divertimento for String quartet
(String quartet no. 3) (2004)
1st mvt Dynamicm
2nd mvt Presto
3rd mvt Molto rubato e melancolico
4th mvt Presto possibile
5th mvt Slow. Dinstant
6th mvt Epilogue
For no reason and from scratch
(String quartet no. 4) (2006)
5 Sholia (Comments)
(String quartet no. 5) (2009)
I, II, III, IV, V
Total time: 47:17
CD2
String quartet no. 1
(1959)
1st mvt Maestoso
2nd mvt (Theme and variations) - Andante
3rd mvt Scherzino pizzicato
4th mvt Allegro
String quartet no. 2
(1998)
I, II, III
String quartet no. 6
(2011)
Total time: 50:51
__________________________
taxes and shipping are included
About the six String Quartets
The six string quartets, written over a long period, starting in 1959 and culminating in 2011 show my constant and compositional development, but also my position in molding the systems which I used in order to turn them into a personal language of expression, as well as my emancipation on their use.
1st String Quartet
It was written in 1959 and chosen together with another work of mine, the Triple Concert for violin, trumpet and clarinet, for a composition competition, held by the Greek Radio (ERA). At the time, the head of the music department was Giorgos Sisilianos and the orchestra conductor was Frantz Litschauer.
The quartet consists of four parts:
I – Maestoso
II - (Theme and variations) - Andante
III - Scherzino pizzicato
IV - Allegro
It was one of my first attempts at assimilating atonal techniques, with elements of Greek musical tradition, while using modern string instrument techniques as much as possible.
2nd String Quartet
It was written in 1998. It consists of three parts and is based on the free use of a twelve-tone row. It is a display of virtuosity and uses modern string instrument techniques. The first part consists of free variations on the thematic material. The second, in A-B-A form, is mainly homophonic, more dance-like and is based on the change between 6/8 and 3/4.
The third part, also of an upbeat, dance mood and in A-B-A form, is characterised by the combination of more complex rhythms. This composition is dedicated to all my friends, string instrument players and especially those who continue to keep the idea of a string quartet alive.
Divertimento for String Quartet (3rd String Quartet)
The "Divertimento for String Quartet" was written especially for my colleagues and friends of the "New Greek Quartet": George Demertzis (violin), Dimitris Chandrakis (violin), Chara Seira (viola) and Apostolos Chandrakis (cello). I really wanted to write a string quartet for them, which would express my admiration for their musical ability. I named it "Divertimento" (and not 3rd String Quartet) not only because it has many different parts, but because I wanted to give a happier tone, at least to some of them. Each part is based on a different idea and has its own unique character. I tried to react instinctively and write something simple rather than "avant-guarde", but a work which can easily communicate with both the musicians and the audience, one rather realistic in conception as well as technical capabilities.
I am afraid that once more, despite my best intentions, I failed to do this.
4th String Quartet
The fourth string quartet, entitled «For no reason and from scratch», was truly written without any particular reason, from «nothing». At the time, there was neither a programmed direction, nor a certain way of evolution. It is based on the free usage of a dodecatonal sequence and is characterised by the constant interjections of various free parts into others which are strictly organised.
"5 SHOLIA" (Five Comments) (5th String Quartet )
The "Five Comments for String Quartet" were written in 2009 for some friends of mine, great fans of the string quartet. The word "comments" in the title is in fact an abstract effort to "musically" comment on various events. There are 5 short pieces of narrative, based on the aptitude of the various string instruments. Each "comment" wants to express ideas using a different auditory material and character. The 1st, narrative, using material which moves towards certain directions. The 2nd, quite brief, with constant alternation of timbres. The 3rd, in constant motion, a genre common in Baroque music. The 4th, slower, with drone notes upon which melodic elements are allowed to flourish. The 5th can be seen as a summary of the previous four.
6th String Quartet
The 6th string quartet is written in one part. It starts in trance and develops in rhythmic passings and improvised segments with free repetitions of rhythmic and melodic patterns.
Theodore Antoniou
Theodore Antoniou, one of the most eminent and prolific contemporary artists, leads a distinguished career as composer, conductor, and professor of composition at Boston University. He studied violin, voice, and composition at the National Conservatory and the Hellenic Conservatory in Athens, with further studies in conducting and composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, and the International Music Center in Darmstadt. After holding teaching positions at Stanford University, the University of Utah, and the Philadelphia Musical Academy, he became professor of composition at Boston University in 1978.
As a conductor, Professor Antoniou has been engaged by several major orchestras and ensembles, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players, the Radio Orchestras of Berlin and Paris, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra (Zurich), the National Opera of Greece and the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra. In 1974 he became assistant director of contemporary activities at Tanglewood, a position he held until 1985. An ardent proponent of new music, Professor Antoniou has founded various contemporary music ensembles, including ALEA II at Stanford University; ALEA III, in residence at Boston University; the Philadelphia New Music Group; and the Hellenic Group of Contemporary Music. He is the director of the ALEA III International Composition Competition and elected president of the Greek Composers’ Union since 1989. He is also director of the Experimental Stage of National Opera of Greece and the Music Department of the Hellenic American University in Athens (H.A.U.).
Many of Professor Antoniou’s compositions were commissioned by major orchestras around the world, and about 300 of his works have been published by Bärenreiter Verlag (Germany), G. Schirmer (USA) and Philippos Nakas (Greece). He has received many awards and prizes, including the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship grants and the Richard Strauss Prize, as well as commissions from the Fromm, Guggenheim, and Koussevitzky Foundations, and from the city of Munich for the 1972 Olympic Games. He has been recognized with ASCAP Awards for several years and in 1991 he was awarded the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching by Boston University. In December 1997 he was presented with the Music Award from the Greek Academy of Arts and Letters, one of the most prestigious awards and the highest academic distinction in music; and in January 2000, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation awarded him the Dimitri Mitropoulos Award for his lifelong contribution to music. In 2004 the University of Vienna and the Alfred Töpfer Foundation of Hamburg, Germany, awarded him the prestigious 2004 Herder Prize, in recognition of his contribution to mutual cultural understanding and piece among the countries of southeastern Europe. Kodaly, Lutoslawski and Penderecki, are among the personalities, awarded with this Prize. In January 2005 the Ionian University bestowed upon him an Honorary Doctorate, while in December 2005 the CFA faculty of Boston University awarded him with «The Distinguished Faculty Award», an award that is presented to honor CFA faculty members for their outstanding achievements, contributions to the arts, and distinguished service to the community.
Theodore Antoniou’s works are numerous and varied in nature, ranging from operas and choral works to chamber music, from film and theatre music to solo instrumental pieces - his scores for theatre and film music alone number more than a 150 compositions. Among his works, the opera Bacchae premiered in the Athens Festival in Greece. His newest opera, Oedipus at Colonus, commissioned by the SWF (Sued-West Funk), Baden-Baden, in Germany, received the prestigious Music Award presented by the Hellenic Union of Music and Theatre Critics. For his theatre music, he has also been awarded with «Karolos Koun» award (he was the first one to receive it in 1988) and the «Dimitris Mitropoulos» award (for 2006) by the Museum and Study Centre of the Greek Theatre and the Judging Committee for Distinguished Awards awarded to stage artists, in appreciation of his prominent presence in that area until today. His most recent distinctions are the «Commander of the Order of Honor», presented by the President of the Hellenic Republic (February 2007), Professor Emeritus at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University (October 2008) and an Honorary Doctorate bestowed upon him by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (March 2009).
L’ Anima String quartet
L' Anima piano Quartet consists of Stella Tsani (1st violin), Brunilda - Eugenia Malo (2nd violin), Eleftheria Togia (viola) and Lefki Kolovou (cello).
It was formed in April 1996, after several years of collaboration in the Chamber Music class of Tatsis Apostolides at the Athens Conservatory.
All four members of L'Anima have been working with the most famous musical ensembles of the country (Athens State Orchestra, Municipality of Athens Symphonic Orchestra, National Symphonic Orchestra of ERT, Orchestra of Colours, Camerata, Greek Contemporary Music Ensembe etc) for a series of years. They have known great success, both in Greece and abroad, have received numerous important prizes and awards, recorded several albums and worked with many important conductors and composers from all over the world.
L'Anima has appeared, among others, in some of the most important concert venues in Greece (the Athens and Salonica Concert Hall, the Herodium, the Vergina Archaeological Site, the Presidential Palace, the Maximos Mansion, the Attalus Arcade, the National Gallery etc).
They have collaborated with the Ministry of Culture during the "Full Moon Events".
They have collaborated with ATTIKO METRO S.A. to organise a series of concerts in various underground stations in Athens.
They have appeared at the Presidential Palace and the Maximos Mansion at the invitation of the Greek Presidency and the Government. Also, they performed in April 2003 at the Attalos Arcade, during the Ceremony for the Expansion of the European Union, attended by all of the leaders and delegates of the EU member-states, invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Presidency of the European Union.
They have taken part in several broadcasts of the State Radio and Television, as well as events organised by the 3rd Programme of ERT (the Greek National Radio).
L'Anima have played an important role in the effort to familiarise children with classical music, appearing at many schools.
The quartet's repertoir includes the greatest works by the most important composers of classical music, contemporary compositions, works by older and modern Greek composers, as well as transcriptions of famous compositions of the international repertoir.
In 2011 the first album of L' Anima string quartet was released, entitled “Music for Strings” and consisting of works by Greek composer Savvas Zannas.
“L' Anima” in Italian means “The Soul”.
1st String Quartet
It was written in 1959 and chosen together with another work of mine, the Triple Concert for violin, trumpet and clarinet, for a composition competition, held by the Greek Radio (ERA). At the time, the head of the music department was Giorgos Sisilianos and the orchestra conductor was Frantz Litschauer.
The quartet consists of four parts:
I – Maestoso
II - (Theme and variations) - Andante
III - Scherzino pizzicato
IV - Allegro
It was one of my first attempts at assimilating atonal techniques, with elements of Greek musical tradition, while using modern string instrument techniques as much as possible.
2nd String Quartet
It was written in 1998. It consists of three parts and is based on the free use of a twelve-tone row. It is a display of virtuosity and uses modern string instrument techniques. The first part consists of free variations on the thematic material. The second, in A-B-A form, is mainly homophonic, more dance-like and is based on the change between 6/8 and 3/4.
The third part, also of an upbeat, dance mood and in A-B-A form, is characterised by the combination of more complex rhythms. This composition is dedicated to all my friends, string instrument players and especially those who continue to keep the idea of a string quartet alive.
Divertimento for String Quartet (3rd String Quartet)
The "Divertimento for String Quartet" was written especially for my colleagues and friends of the "New Greek Quartet": George Demertzis (violin), Dimitris Chandrakis (violin), Chara Seira (viola) and Apostolos Chandrakis (cello). I really wanted to write a string quartet for them, which would express my admiration for their musical ability. I named it "Divertimento" (and not 3rd String Quartet) not only because it has many different parts, but because I wanted to give a happier tone, at least to some of them. Each part is based on a different idea and has its own unique character. I tried to react instinctively and write something simple rather than "avant-guarde", but a work which can easily communicate with both the musicians and the audience, one rather realistic in conception as well as technical capabilities.
I am afraid that once more, despite my best intentions, I failed to do this.
4th String Quartet
The fourth string quartet, entitled «For no reason and from scratch», was truly written without any particular reason, from «nothing». At the time, there was neither a programmed direction, nor a certain way of evolution. It is based on the free usage of a dodecatonal sequence and is characterised by the constant interjections of various free parts into others which are strictly organised.
"5 SHOLIA" (Five Comments) (5th String Quartet )
The "Five Comments for String Quartet" were written in 2009 for some friends of mine, great fans of the string quartet. The word "comments" in the title is in fact an abstract effort to "musically" comment on various events. There are 5 short pieces of narrative, based on the aptitude of the various string instruments. Each "comment" wants to express ideas using a different auditory material and character. The 1st, narrative, using material which moves towards certain directions. The 2nd, quite brief, with constant alternation of timbres. The 3rd, in constant motion, a genre common in Baroque music. The 4th, slower, with drone notes upon which melodic elements are allowed to flourish. The 5th can be seen as a summary of the previous four.
6th String Quartet
The 6th string quartet is written in one part. It starts in trance and develops in rhythmic passings and improvised segments with free repetitions of rhythmic and melodic patterns.
Theodore Antoniou
Theodore Antoniou, one of the most eminent and prolific contemporary artists, leads a distinguished career as composer, conductor, and professor of composition at Boston University. He studied violin, voice, and composition at the National Conservatory and the Hellenic Conservatory in Athens, with further studies in conducting and composition at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, and the International Music Center in Darmstadt. After holding teaching positions at Stanford University, the University of Utah, and the Philadelphia Musical Academy, he became professor of composition at Boston University in 1978.
As a conductor, Professor Antoniou has been engaged by several major orchestras and ensembles, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players, the Radio Orchestras of Berlin and Paris, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the Tonhalle Orchestra (Zurich), the National Opera of Greece and the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra. In 1974 he became assistant director of contemporary activities at Tanglewood, a position he held until 1985. An ardent proponent of new music, Professor Antoniou has founded various contemporary music ensembles, including ALEA II at Stanford University; ALEA III, in residence at Boston University; the Philadelphia New Music Group; and the Hellenic Group of Contemporary Music. He is the director of the ALEA III International Composition Competition and elected president of the Greek Composers’ Union since 1989. He is also director of the Experimental Stage of National Opera of Greece and the Music Department of the Hellenic American University in Athens (H.A.U.).
Many of Professor Antoniou’s compositions were commissioned by major orchestras around the world, and about 300 of his works have been published by Bärenreiter Verlag (Germany), G. Schirmer (USA) and Philippos Nakas (Greece). He has received many awards and prizes, including the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship grants and the Richard Strauss Prize, as well as commissions from the Fromm, Guggenheim, and Koussevitzky Foundations, and from the city of Munich for the 1972 Olympic Games. He has been recognized with ASCAP Awards for several years and in 1991 he was awarded the Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching by Boston University. In December 1997 he was presented with the Music Award from the Greek Academy of Arts and Letters, one of the most prestigious awards and the highest academic distinction in music; and in January 2000, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation awarded him the Dimitri Mitropoulos Award for his lifelong contribution to music. In 2004 the University of Vienna and the Alfred Töpfer Foundation of Hamburg, Germany, awarded him the prestigious 2004 Herder Prize, in recognition of his contribution to mutual cultural understanding and piece among the countries of southeastern Europe. Kodaly, Lutoslawski and Penderecki, are among the personalities, awarded with this Prize. In January 2005 the Ionian University bestowed upon him an Honorary Doctorate, while in December 2005 the CFA faculty of Boston University awarded him with «The Distinguished Faculty Award», an award that is presented to honor CFA faculty members for their outstanding achievements, contributions to the arts, and distinguished service to the community.
Theodore Antoniou’s works are numerous and varied in nature, ranging from operas and choral works to chamber music, from film and theatre music to solo instrumental pieces - his scores for theatre and film music alone number more than a 150 compositions. Among his works, the opera Bacchae premiered in the Athens Festival in Greece. His newest opera, Oedipus at Colonus, commissioned by the SWF (Sued-West Funk), Baden-Baden, in Germany, received the prestigious Music Award presented by the Hellenic Union of Music and Theatre Critics. For his theatre music, he has also been awarded with «Karolos Koun» award (he was the first one to receive it in 1988) and the «Dimitris Mitropoulos» award (for 2006) by the Museum and Study Centre of the Greek Theatre and the Judging Committee for Distinguished Awards awarded to stage artists, in appreciation of his prominent presence in that area until today. His most recent distinctions are the «Commander of the Order of Honor», presented by the President of the Hellenic Republic (February 2007), Professor Emeritus at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University (October 2008) and an Honorary Doctorate bestowed upon him by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (March 2009).
L’ Anima String quartet
L' Anima piano Quartet consists of Stella Tsani (1st violin), Brunilda - Eugenia Malo (2nd violin), Eleftheria Togia (viola) and Lefki Kolovou (cello).
It was formed in April 1996, after several years of collaboration in the Chamber Music class of Tatsis Apostolides at the Athens Conservatory.
All four members of L'Anima have been working with the most famous musical ensembles of the country (Athens State Orchestra, Municipality of Athens Symphonic Orchestra, National Symphonic Orchestra of ERT, Orchestra of Colours, Camerata, Greek Contemporary Music Ensembe etc) for a series of years. They have known great success, both in Greece and abroad, have received numerous important prizes and awards, recorded several albums and worked with many important conductors and composers from all over the world.
L'Anima has appeared, among others, in some of the most important concert venues in Greece (the Athens and Salonica Concert Hall, the Herodium, the Vergina Archaeological Site, the Presidential Palace, the Maximos Mansion, the Attalus Arcade, the National Gallery etc).
They have collaborated with the Ministry of Culture during the "Full Moon Events".
They have collaborated with ATTIKO METRO S.A. to organise a series of concerts in various underground stations in Athens.
They have appeared at the Presidential Palace and the Maximos Mansion at the invitation of the Greek Presidency and the Government. Also, they performed in April 2003 at the Attalos Arcade, during the Ceremony for the Expansion of the European Union, attended by all of the leaders and delegates of the EU member-states, invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek Presidency of the European Union.
They have taken part in several broadcasts of the State Radio and Television, as well as events organised by the 3rd Programme of ERT (the Greek National Radio).
L'Anima have played an important role in the effort to familiarise children with classical music, appearing at many schools.
The quartet's repertoir includes the greatest works by the most important composers of classical music, contemporary compositions, works by older and modern Greek composers, as well as transcriptions of famous compositions of the international repertoir.
In 2011 the first album of L' Anima string quartet was released, entitled “Music for Strings” and consisting of works by Greek composer Savvas Zannas.
“L' Anima” in Italian means “The Soul”.