String Quartet No. 1

Composer’s note: "A few years ago, the artist and photographer Joyce Evans commissioned me to write a piece in memory of her mother Rosa. In 2012 I was asked to revisit this project, for Flinders String Quartet, including Joyce’s wider family. The first movement is fast and energetic with much syncopation and spiky figurations to celebrate the JOY in Joyce. The second movement is calmer and more laconic, inspired by my impression of her son Brad. In the third movement I introduce a Polish melody that Rosa used to sing to Joyce. The fourth movement is somewhat relentless and seeks to capture the enthusiasm and adventurous spirit of Joyce’s daughter Deborah who likes to travel.” Elena Kats-Chernin