David Farquhar – String Quartet No.2 String Quartet PME06: Score & parts

In six inter-related movements, exhibiting throughout great concision and economy, devotees of the composer’s style will find much to admire in the second of Farquhar's four string quartets. The composer writes: “The quartet is in six movements which are played without a break. The odd-numbered movements are quick, and are all based on the same material—an unsettled chord with B as the melody note, followed by a downward arpeggio flourish and a rising stepwise melody. The tempo in movements 3 and 5 gets progressively faster, and the atmosphere increasingly scherzando in character. The first two even-numbered movements (2 and 4) are slow expressive intermezzi; both feature an up-beat of three repeated Bs leading into chromatic lines. The final movement serves as an epilogue and resolution; the instruments are now muted and the three repeated Bs are now on the beat, while off-beat accompaniment figures provide a gentle swaying dance around them.”

Recent publications in this series

David Farquhar String Quartet No.3 String Quartet ISMN M-67452-033-1 | Code PME07 | Score & parts Publication Date 2005 | Publication Format Softback score & 4 paperback parts John Cousins String Quartet String Quartet ISMN M-67452-035-5 | Code PME09 | Study score Publication Date 2005 | Publication Format Softback score David Farquhar String Quartet No.2 String Quartet ISMN M-67452-032-4 | Code PME06 | Score & parts Publication Date 2003 | Publication Format Softback score & 4 paperback parts John Ritchie The Snow Goose Flute & Piano ISMN M-67452-028-7 | Code PME02 | Score & part Publication Date 2003 | Publication Format Softback score & paperback part David Farquhar String Quartet No.4 String Quartet ISMN M-67452-021-8 | Code ME12 | Score & parts Publication Date 2000 | Publication Format Softback score & 4 paperback parts