SCHICKELE: Scherzo from Quartet No. 2 “In Memoriam” · MORAVEC: Atmosfera a Villa Aurelia · Vince & Jan: 1945 · GERSHWIN (arr. Silverman): He Loves and She Loves · Fascinatin’ Rhythm · Do It Again · Clap Your Hands · Sweet & Low Down · ROUMAIN: Quartet No. 5 “Rosa Parks” · Klap Ur Hands [Remix]

The works on this recording represent the Lark Quartet’s longtime association with new music and adventuresome programming. There is traditional string quartet playing, but also the string quartet as never heard before. The exploration of this new voice, however, is a thoughtful one rather than a mere attempt to be different. The works chosen reflect the Lark Quartet’s long and close association with the composers Peter Schickele and Paul Moravec, and with the Quartet’s more recent discovery, Daniel Bernard Roumain. The Gershwin songs are also explorative, with the unearthing of Stanley Silverman’s elegant translation of them that goes well beyond the expected. Performing with a unique blend of excitement, individuality, technical brilliance, and an unusually sonorous quartet sound, the Lark Quartet has won the acclaim of critics and audiences alike. Building on the group’s illustrious commissioning history, the Lark continues its bold approach to wide-ranging musical styles. Peter Schickele is internationally recognized as one of the most versatile artists in the field of music as a composer, pianist, author, and satirist. His works, now well in excess of one hundred for symphony orchestras, choral groups, chamber ensembles, voice, movies, and television, have given him “a leading role in the ever-more-prominent school of American composers who unselfconsciously blend all levels of American music” according to the New York Times. Paul Moravec, recipient of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music, has composed over ninety orchestral, chamber, choral, lyric, film, and electro-acoustic pieces. Daniel Bernard Roumain (“DBR”), the son of Haitian immigrants, is a composer/performer/band leader who seamlessly blends funk, rock, hip-hop, and classical music into a new and highly personal sonic vision. His dramatic, soul-inspiring pieces have been commissioned and performed by orchestras nationwide including the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Chicago Sinfonietta, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. The centerpiece of Klap Ur Handz is the world premiere recording of DBR’s new string quartet, dedicated to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. Earlier this year, DBR’s music was highlighted in a feature story on NPR’s All Things Considered. The broadcast included a focus on the Lark Quartet’s first rehearsal of Quartet No. 5 “Rosa Parks.” For more information on the Lark Quartet, visit www.larkquartet.com. For more information on DBR, visit www.dbrmusic.com.

"A polished and warmly communicative ensemble … [delivers] a performance of grace, proportion, and burnished brilliance.” — WASHINGTON POST

“Dynamic, accomplished, and imaginative musicians.” — BOSTON GLOBE

“Roumain … has emerged as something of a hero in the demanding New York arts world. The New York Times put a Roumain performance at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall at No. 3 on its list of Top 10 classical music events.” — SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE