The Emerson String Quartet Plays 50 Years of American Music, 1919-1969 (2000)

You don't have to be an American to enjoy 50 years of this romp, and you might as well enjoy it while you can because who knows if this romp might last for another 50 years. Featuring the renowned Emerson Quartet in five American chamber works, repertoire which they are not normally associated with but which they play superlatively well, is this juxtaposition of the dense and rhythmically complex string pieces by Cowell, Schuller, and Imbrie with the lush and lyrical writings of Harris and Shepherd.

Henry Cowell
Quartet for Strings "Euphometric" (1:54)

Arthur Shepherd
Triptych for High Voice and String Quartet (14:28)
He It Is
The Day Is No More
Light, My Light

Roy Harris
Three Variations on a Theme (String Quartet No.2) (18:33)
Variation I
Variation II
Variation III

Gunther Schuller
String Quartet No. 2 (19:07)
I
II
III

Andrew Imbrie
String Quartet No. 4 (19:52)
I
II
III

Emerson String Quartet:
Eugene Drucker (Violin)
Philip Setzer (Violin)
Lawrence Dutton (Viola)
Eric Wilson (Cello)

New World 80453-2