Grant: RTF01
Detail: 4 movement piece lasting 25 minutes, for piano and string quartet
Premiere: 16 October 2011, Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, London
Performers: Andrew Matthews-Owen (piano) and the Brodowski quartet
Recording: Released by Ives Ensemble on CD March 2017 (details here)
The Richard Thomas Foundation originated and commissioned the composition, and promoted the concert that included the first performance of the piece.
Background: Laurence Crane is one of the UK’s leading contemporary classical composers. He was a finalist in the 2009 Royal Philharmonic Society’s composition award. Highly respected, his music is only more recently coming to wider attention.
Before the concert the BBC broadcaster Katie Derham interviewed Crane and 3 other composers in a free discussion session to an audience of about 100 people.
The concert was very well attended, with almost all the seats occupied. Ticket prices were set to be affordable (£10/£12, with unlimited £5 tickets for students and unwaged). Special programmes were given free to all ticket holders. Many of the audience were new to contemporary classical music.
The quintet was well received and reviewed, and received many further performances as a result:
- The Amsterdam based Ives Ensemble performed the quintet in ‘de Duif”, Amsterdam, on 25th March 2012; and in Utrecht on 25th October 2012. The Foundation is also helping the Ives Ensemble with plans to issue the quintet on CD.
- The Bozzini quartet with pianist Philip Thomas performed the quintet in Montreal, Canada, on 18th April 2013 at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur. Information here.
- The Brodowski quartet with pianist Simon Lane performed the quintet at the Anvil, Basingstoke,UK, on 10th May 2013.
- The Bozzini quartet with pianist Philip Thomas performed the quintet a second time on 8th May 2015 at the Angelica Festival in Bologna – the 6th performance of this work, in the 4th country, and by the 3rd ensemble to play it.