Spektral Quartet with Mary Pan, pipe organ
Theo Espy, violin
Clara Lyon, violin
Doyle Armbrust, viola
Russell Rolen, cello
Recorded live at Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago, October 5th, 2018. Note: the full sound image was difficult to capture, so in this recording the organ is sometimes under-balanced relative to the strings.
The performance received an enthusiastic review from Chicago Classical Review. In it, Lawrence Johnson writes: "The Seventh Quartet is a work of stark conflict and chromatic strife with brief respites of spiritual calm. The quartet begins with beast-like lowing from the organ, answered by the strings with eerie high tremolos and glissandos. The contrasting material alternates and accelerates; the organ embarks on a long crescendo topped by a jarringly massive chord, almost overpowering coming from the mighty Rockefeller instrument." Read the full review here: chicagoclassicalreview.com/20...
Score used by permission from the composer.
Three-time GRAMMY nominated Spektral Quartet was active from 2010 to 2022. In that time the Chicago-based ensemble commissioned over 85 composers for new works, served as ensemble-in-residence at the University of Chicago for 7 years, toured nationally and internationally, and released studio albums. Read / hear more at www.spektralquartet.com