Aleksander Lason - String Quartet No. 2 - The Penderecki Quartet

This Quartet is from a disc on Cala/United records called "The Broken Thought: Polish String Quartets". The other works on the disc are by Penderecki and Grazyna Bacewicz.

Strangely, I only have the Lason Quartet (from 1987) on my hdd. (I own the disc but don't know where it is or why the other works aren't also on my computer..I will have to check several hdd's)

However since I was listening to it earlier and Aleksander Lason is a composer that 99% of you probably haven't heard of, I figured I'd post his imo great Quartet No. 2, a 20-minute single movement work. He has written at least 7 String Quartets, all of which I find to be excellent examples of attractive contemporary chamber music. He has written other music as well (orchestral, such as a wonderful Violin Concerto, however it's not available, nor are any other of his works for larger forces at this time sadly) I have two other discs of his Quartets, but no idea where they are right now : / 

Lason's "String Quartet No. 2" is built around the note C-sharp. It is highly melismatic and has some sensuous like folk fiddling, and a complex pattern of interwoven lines that is at the same time sonorous and discordant. It has all the tension of the Penderecki Quartet but with a softer sweeter side.

Here's the list of his compositions that are on wikipedia, clearly not up to date:

• Sonata for violin and piano (1970–71)
• Songs for soprano and piano (1973)
• Symphony No. 1 for brass instruments, percussion and two pianos (1975)
• Sonata for solo violin no. 1 (1975)
• Music in Shakespeare for baritone and magnetic tape (1975)
• Music in Four Parts for double-bass and piano (1977)
• Symphony No. 2 “Concertante” for piano and orchestra (1977–79)
• Mountains for symphony orchestra (1979–80)
• Sonata for solo violin no. 2 (1983–84)
• String Quartet No. 2 (1987)
• String Quartet No. 3 (1992–93)
• Concerto festivo for violin and orchestra (1993–95)
• Symphony No. 3 “1999” Apokalypsis for choir and orchestra (1996–97)
• Musica Sacra – Sanctus for four male voices, organ and string orchestra (1998)
• A Little Book for clarinet and strings (2001)
• Sinfonia concertante for guitar and chamber orchestra (2004)
• AUKSO for string orchestra (2006)
• SATJA – Symphony No. 4 for orchestra (2006–07)

I created a pdf with his bio, however it's from 2001. Enjoy.

Aleksander.Lason.String.Quartet.No.2.Tz.zip

http://www42.zippyshare.com/v/16581903/file.html