Playing on the Edge, Vol. 2 Sirius Quartet

• Bruce Babcock: Watcher of the Sky:
• 1 Watcher of the Sky: I. In 1903 02:37
• 2 Watcher of the Sky: II. Night of First Light 02:49
• 3 Watcher of the Sky: III. 1938 03:00
• 4 Watcher of the Sky: IV. Palomar 02:57
• Dayton Kinney:
• 5 The Canary Who Sang 07:31
• Roger Fong:
• 6 Variations on Emotions 04:17
• Daniel Burwasser:
• 7 Puck's Game 05:10
• John Summers:
• 8 String Quartet: I. — 10:03
• Gregory J. Harris: String Quartet No. 1 "Landscapes":
• 9 String Quartet No. 1 "Landscapes": I. Scenes from a Dark Wood 04:47
• 10 String Quartet No. 1 "Landscapes": II. In the Moon's Wake 05:48
• 11 String Quartet No. 1 "Landscapes": III. A Wild Wind 04:52
• Total Runtime 53:51

Info for Playing on the Edge, Vol. 2

"Playing on the Edge, Vol. 2" follows up Navona Records' first Gramophone-lauded album in this series for string quartet. Like the first installment, the award-winning Sirius Quartet plays the entire catalogue to perfection. Bruce Babcock opens the album with Watcher of the Sky, a piece commissioned to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the birth of American astronomer George Ellery Hale. Four movements chronicle the astronomer's achievements throughout the course of his career: the listener follows the rise from humble beginnings to great discoveries, always enveloped in a sense of marvel at the infinity of outer space. The Canary Who Sang by Dayton Kinney is a politically-inspired piece drawing parallels between the historical canaries in coal mines and today's whistleblowers: a musical testament on how one voice can potentially disrupt a larger society. Happiness, anger, sorrow and joy are the underlying emotions of Roger Fong's Variations on Emotions. Derived from a Chinese saying that it is these emotions that make up life, Fong examines the nature of these heterogeneous sentiments with great accuracy. Daniel Burwasser's Puck's Game is a cinematically illustrative characterization of Shakespeare's mischievous sprite Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Rhythmic and exciting, the work is somewhat reminiscent of Shostakovich, but more light-hearted and humorous. The first movement of String Quartet by John Summers is a meditation on sound, with thick harmonic layers and long, luscious melodic lines. The eclectic Landscapes by Gregory J. Harris round off the album. Careful to give every note, every idea ample space, the three-movement work exploits the tension between grandeur and intimacy and the string quartet setup is the perfect conjunction of both.

Sirius Quartet

Sirius Quartet
Internationally acclaimed veterans of contemporary music, Sirius Quartet creates unforgettable musical events that combine exhilarating repertoire with unequaled improvisational fire. The group’s forward-thinking, genre-defying approach with collaborations in post-rock, avant-jazz and electronic music makes labels like ‘New Music’ sound passé.

Born and bred in NYC’s downtown music scene, Sirius has performed at major venues around the globe. Having premiered works by the likes of Phil Kline, Uri Caine and Richard Einhorn, Sirius pushes beyond the conventional vocabulary of string instruments with bold, original works by its own members, incorporating improvisation, extended techniques and undeniable grooves. These conservatory-trained performer/composers shine with precision, soul and a raw energy rarely witnessed in concert.

The quartet has performed at many important US venues, including Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, LACMA, the Andy Warhol Museum (co-presented by Music on the Edge), Tribeca New Music, American Composers Alliance Music Festival, Chelsea Music Festival and The Kitchen. International appearances include the 2013 Stuttgart Jazz Fest, the 2013 Beijing Music Festival, Bern University of the Arts, the National Academy in Ochsenhausen, the 2012 Tianjin International Jazz Festival, the University of Music and Theater in Munich, the 2011 Taichung Jazz Festival, Köln’s Musik Triennale, and Musique Actuelle in Victoriaville, Canada.

Sirius Quartet has also shared studio and stage with the likes of Diane Reeves, Billy Martin (Medeski Martin and Wood), Jeremy Pelt, John Zorn, Uri Caine, John Escreet, Mike Block, Theo Bleckmann, John Patitucci, Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, Nick Didkovsky, Mikael Karlsson, Elliot Sharp, Linda Oh and many others.

With their latest album Colors of the East, Sirius Quartet puts forward the explosive, genre-defying compositions of violinist Gregor Huebner on full display. The title track is a piece inspired by Huebner’s own Romani heritage, rife with Balkan melodies and odd-metered grooves galore. Colors of the East sees the quartet’s ranks bolstered by the addition of accordion virtuoso Peter Stan and upright powerhouse Pascal Niggenkemper. Rounding out the album is Huebner’s String Quintet, a labyrinthine trip through the dissonant sound worlds of the classical avant-garde and modern jazz, and his New York Suite for string quartet, a homage to the city that Huebner has called home for the last 20 years; each movement a sonic snapshot of a different NYC neighborhood or locale. These pieces feature Gregor’s brother Veit Huebner on bass, and Sirius alumnus Mike Block on cello, respectively.

This album contains no booklet.