It rings a bell...

Composed in 2016, It rings a bell… is my second quartet with piano after Café 2010 (a little homage to Astor Piazzolla). The title is to be understood both literally – bell-like sonorities are heard through the piece – and figuratively – as an evocation of late Middle-Ages litany prayers.

Although quite contrasted, the two movements share the technique of canon composition, typically introduced by church chimes. In the first movement, a hypnotic theme unfolds at a slow-moving, almost creeping tempo. The non-modulating piece explores every register from the low, sepulchral sounds of a death knell to the tinkle of toy bells, resorting to a style of writing that is slightly but deliberately archaic. Standing in sharp contrast with this world of dream and mystery, the second movement is a whirlwind of energy. Themes emerging from bariolage passages are repeated in an increasingly violent ostinato and become pervasive before finding a conclusion in a highly dramatic deluge of sound.

The two movements may also be performed as separate movements. (Karol BEFFA)