Suite No. 2 for Cello Quartet
Instrumentation: Four Cellos
Duration: 17:00
PDF of Score and Parts included.
Performance Rights through BMI.
Program Notes:
Inspired by the unaccompanied suites by J.S. Bach, these Cello Quartets are a collection of short dances reflecting different styles, cultures and periods. Many modern cello ensembles are known for their arrangements of popular songs, which always work much better when played by a handful of cellos. Along the lines of this tradition, the Crosmer Suites are presented in an accessible harmonic idiom, and often hint at pop references without directly quoting them. The suites are too intricate to sight-read on the street, but at the same time they present that groovy, down-to-earth feel. Each movement is a light-hearted character piece, ranging from cute to flashy, and players should make every attempt to perform with alacrity and gusto.
Rather than continue the first suite by writing a sequel, Crosmer chose to write the second suite as a "lateral transformation" of the first. Imagine that the first suite had gone in a different, orthogonal direction from its current state. Inception observes its title by manipulating the Prelude from the first suite in a contorted way, moving from 7/4 bars all the way down to 3/4 bars by the end. The Minuet, in contrast, extends itself from 3/4 bars up to large-scale phrases. Serenity mimics the Interlude from the first suite. Noir is of course a character portrait of a private-I, and Spacey is a funky sprinkle that in no way reflects the personality of the person the suite is dedicated to, cellist Jonathan Butler.