String Quartet No. 1: Klee

PROGRAM NOTE

Like many composers, I’ve long been intimidated by the string quartet as a form. The shadow cast by the repertoire is long, dark, and overwhelming. With this five movement work for the brilliant Attacca Quartet, inspired (sort of) by the work of the painter Paul Klee, I finally feel comfortable calling this “String Quartet No. 1,” despite the fact that there are three quartets that preceded it. The first four movements take their titles from Klee paintings held by the Phillips Collection, which commissioned the work. In the original version, the fifth movement was also a response to an artwork, but after the premiere, I wrote a new conclusion, “Song,” which is, as the title suggests, a song without words.

— Gabriel Kahane, 2021

LISTEN

Klee - I

Klee - II

Klee - III

Klee - IV

Klee - V

PURCHASE