In Flight Music Kreutzer Quartet

• 1 I. Hang-gliders, Stanwell Park, NSW Australia 04:40
• 2 II. Vapour Trails 07:10
• 3 III. Hummingbird Hawk Moths, Maurens, France 05:01
• 4 IV. Raptor Thermals - mainly Eagles (Dordogne France) 06:49
• 5 String Quartet No. 4 17:40
• 6 I. Grey Heron 01:39
• 7 II. Mute Swan 01:35
• 8 III. Coot 01:18
• 9 IV. Mallard 01:53
• 10 V. Black-headed Gull 01:28
• 11 VI. Kingfisher 02:22
• 12 VII. Wren 00:57
• 13 VIII. Robin 01:09
• 14 IX. Song Thrush 01:15
• 15 X. Blackbird 01:20
• 16 XI. Chaffinch 00:58
• 17 XII. Blue Tit 01:27
• 18 XIII. Woodpigeon 01:31
• 19 XIV. Cuckoo 01:28
• 20 XV. Green Woodpecker 01:30
• 21 XVI. Bullfinch 01:17
• 22 XVII. Jay 00:53
• 23 XVIII. Tawny Owl 02:05
• 24 XIX. Rook 01:21
• 25 XX. Kestrel 00:54
• 26 XXI. Lapwing 00:44
• 27 XXII. Partridge 01:01
• 28 XXIII. Skylark 01:46
• 29 XXIV. Magpie 01:01
• Total Runtime 01:14:12

Info for In Flight Music

Edward Cowie describes himself as 'the musical equivalent of a plein air visual artist', with compositions evolving from sketches or paintings done in situ. The natural world is inspiration for much of his music and on this album he focuses on flight; mainly of birds and insects. In String Quartet No. 3 ‘In Flight Music’ he adds contrast with two flying-machine-titled movements Hang-gliders and Vapour Trails.

String Quartet No.5 ‘Birdsong Bagatelles’ features 24 brief movements, which collectively cover all the major and minor keys of the chromatic scale. Each piece is named after a bird (Wren, Blackbird, Magpie ...) but Cowie avoids the Messiaen-style approach and instead focuses on the visual displays of birds and their habitat, rather than bird song.

String Quartet No.4 explores mortality. The quartet plays a continuous, slowly ascending emotional and sensual ‘hill-climb’, which ends with a hymn-like theme.

"...the music has a lighter-than-air transparency to it, constantly changing and renewing itself" (Andrew Clements, The Guardian)

Kreutzer Quartet:
Peter Sheppard Skærved, violin
Mihailo Trandafilovski, violin
Morgan Goff, viola
Neil Heyde, cello

The Kreutzer Quartet
has forged an enviable reputation as one of the Europe's most dynamic and innovative string quartets. They are the dedicatees of numerous works, and over many years have forged creative partnerships with composers including Sir Michael Tippett, David Matthews, Michael Finnissy, Judith Weir, and Haflidi Hallgrimsson. They have a particularly strong relationship to a cross-section of leading American composers, having collaborated intensively with George Rochberg in the last few years of his life, as long as working closely with figures as Elliott Schwartz, and the prolific symphonist Gloria Coates. As recording artists they have won critical acclaim for their discs on the Naxos, Metier, and Chandos labels. They are Artists in Association at Quartet at York University, and at Wiltons Music Hall. Their work in collaboration with art galleries has garnered much attention, and large audiences, particularly their annual residency at the Tate Gallery, St Ives.

Booklet for In Flight Music