Customer Reviews

Gloria Coates: String Quartets Nos. 1, 5, 6

5 star:		(3)
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I was astounded when I first played this CD. The sounds were so unusual, so much like a full orchestra that I checked the cover to be sure I had the recording I had ordered. Careful listening revealed only four instruments, but what a variety of timbres! Who could guess that stringed instruments were capable of such music? The performers are superb. They master challenges of pitch, rhythm and harmonics that would make lesser performers quail.Coates's music is her own, unlike that of any other composer. It expands one's listening skills as melodies repeat themselves in different voices at different speeds. Listen for the lines. This is contemporary music that is comprehensible because of the standard, even old-fashioned, forms it follows. But the real joy comes in hearing the exploitation of the capabilities of instrument and performer. Now I listen every night to one of the quartets before I fall asleep.

Do people listen to this?
Yes I do. And as far as I read in Billboard Magazine, quite a few have (just to mention one of the extremely positive reviews I have read): The CD sold over 9000 copies in the first year of its release. (...) In fact this CD has been one of the highlights of 2002 to me. I can hardly wait for Vol.2.
If one opens the ears, without prejudice or expectations, there is a wonderful new spectrum and soundworld there, nothing like Beethoven or Saint-Saens, but masterworks in it's own right, using other techniques and other harmonies. I love it and would encourage everyone to try and enjoy it too.

If you are seeking a true diversion try these string quartets by Coates. The magical and unusual sounds Coates creates (I have no clue how she does this or how this music can even be written down on paper for that matter) all come together to paint an eloquent picture. Suddenly, you find yourself whisked forward and back through time and space. These are the sounds of nature from other times and places both past and future. And remarkably, these quartets are here for us to enjoy in the present!