Eddie Healy
Les Productions D’Oz: Score and separate parts (8, 2, 2, 2, and 2 pages respectively)
This quartet by this prolific writer is quite short, only 70 bars in length and is set in F#m at ninety crotchets a minute. Right from the start there is an upbeat and almost rocky introduction on guitar 4 that moves up into guitars 2 and 3 leading finally into guitar 1 before the actual theme appears at bar 5, where all the players move away from that rocky rhythm, and start to develop their own personalities by each playing something quite different from the others. After a momentary time change from 4 beats to 3, the opening idea returns, only for a repeat to take place. The second time around a rather off – beat rhythm enters on three guitars that again feels rather rock- styled in nature , that then pauses only for guitar 1 to have a brief theme , marked solo (with the other 3 accompanying ). A new theme then enters that involves the first two guitars, mainly, swapping pairs of notes that gently clash against one another, whilst guitars 3 and 4 provide a slightly bouncy accompaniment between them. This continues for a substantial time leading to a climactic moment, with a few bars of 5/4 then a move to 3 / 4 before dying away to another pause. Then the final coda provides a low – key finish on an F#m chord split over the four players.
I would love to know where the title comes from, because as in other works by this composer, there isn’t a Preface explaining the whys and wherefores behind the title, and the music that is describing it, because I am sure that quartets would find it useful to know. Having said that this not too difficult piece is quite fun, and has some nice and interesting moments and might interest a quartet where the players didn’t have to be too advanced in their technique.
Chris Dumigan