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Harvey J. Stokes
String Quartet No. 1
String Quartet No. 2
String Quartet No. 3
The
Oxford
String
Quartet
Harvey J. Stokes
Dr. Harvey J. Stokes is professor of music at Hampton University, and founder and director of the Computer Music Laboratory. His degrees are from Michigan State University, the University of Georgia, and East Carolina University. His composition instructors include Brett Watson, Alan Leichtling, John Corina, Lewis Nielson, Jere Hutcheson, and Charles Ruggerio. The recipient of numerous composition awards, including those sponsored by the Lancaster Festival and the New England Conservatory of Music, he is also the author of two books on music. Recent activities include completion of several commissioned works, an invited residency at West Chester University, invited participations in the Southeastern Composers League Forum and regional and national conferences of the Society of Composers, performances of works by the Richmond Chamber Players and the Virginia Beach Symphony, and international performances in Asia and South America. Principal publishers include MMB, Harkie-Coovey, and Seesaw.
Notes on the Music
"One of several pinnacles in my creative career has been the composition of a trilogy of works for the Oxford String Quartet. My String Quartet No. 1 was commissioned by this ensemble and completed during the fall of 1990 in Hampton, Virginia. Since its premiere in 1991, it has been performed many times by the Oxford Quartet to great acclaim. Due to the success of this work, I dedicated two additional compositions to the Oxford String Quartet. String Quartet No. 2 and String Quartet No. 3 were completed in 1992 and 1995 respectively. String Quartet No. 3 was premiered in 1996 on a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Oxford String Quartet, and String Quartet No. 2 was premiered later that year during a concert tour of Argentina by the ensemble.
"Almost all of my works of the 1990's have been composed through the use of pitch-class set relations. Adaptations of these principles have been used to compose the quartets; additionally, these works have been configured using the kind of large-scale structures found in many postmodern compositions. These large-scale forms have been treated with great freedom in the quartets. Sections within movements have been articulated through the use of specific set transformations; these transformations have been assisted in turn by associative rhythmic figures.
"In String Quartet No. 1, the music has been generated from motivic material stated in the first five measures: a rhythmic figure in the cello and viola, and an ensuing melodic idea in the second violin. Two seven-note synthetic modes can be found in the quartet: the superlocrian (second movement) and the lydian-mixolydian (first and third movements). The first movement follows the single-movement sonata principle, while the subsequent two movements are in one- and three-part form respectively. Each movement of the quartet has an identifiable pitch center: C for the lively first movement, F# for the tranquil second movement, and C for the agitated third movement.
"The music of String Quartet No. 2 has been generated from a superset consisting of what might be called the chromatic octachord (01234567). Subset classes of importance include (0134), (0246), the pentatonic collection, and the chromatic hexachord (012345). A furious first movement in sonata form is followed by a lilting second movement in two-part form and a dramatic third movement in three-part
form. Subtle cyclical procedures have been used to provide unity among the movements.
"String Quartet No. 3 features music generated from the diatonic collection. Important subset classes include (013), (024), (0135), and (0137). The pastoral first movement is in sonata form; the fiery second and bouncy fourth movements are each in five-part form. The serene third movement follows the ritornello principle, with cadenza-like solo passages for each of the instruments. The four movements of the quartet are intended to be performed without pause."
Harvey J. Stokes
The Oxford String Quartet
Jeff Multer and Susan Walker, violins
Mary Harris viola; Steven Shumway, cello
Innovation and tradition come together in the Oxford String Quartet. Four outstanding individuals join together in a fresh, exciting ensemble performing a repertoire encompassing the timeless works of the great masters and exploring the very newest of contemporary music.
Concerts of the Oxford String Quartet have won much critical acclaim. The Cleveland Plain Dealer raves about "vibrant, spellbinding stringsfirst class from top to bottomwho interacted with a corporate sense of articulation, balance and nuance provided by only the most astute chamber players." The Columbus Dispatch says, "The Oxford String Quartet coupled passionate and dedicated involvement with the ability to meet the unusual challenges of the score." The Buffalo News calls the Oxford String Quartet "a pleasant surprisehow satisfying to hear the Oxford give such a thoughtful, well-knit performance." From El Nuevo Diario (Argentina): "With clear sound, refined expressiveness and impeccable intonation, the performers captivated the audience."
The Oxford's passionate performances of the great works of Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms are balanced with intriguing interpretations of modern masters including Bartok, Rochberg and Ginastera. The diversity of the Quartet's programming is further enhanced by collaborations with such artists as James Tocco, Frank Glazer, the Borodin Duo, and members of the American and Cavani String Quartets.
As a member of the Ohio Arts Council's roster of touring artists since 1987, the Oxford String Quartet is a popular guest on concert series in the Midwest, and also makes frequent national concert tours. International activities include performances at the Echternach Festival in Europe and concert tours in South America.
Continuing a tradition begun in 1946, the current group holds a faculty residency at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. There, they have coached young ensembles from all over the world, including the Veronika String Quartet (Russia) and the Cuarteto de Cuerdas América (Venezuela). The Oxford String Quartet hosts an annual summer Chamber Music Institute as part of its commitment to training the next generation of musicians.
The Oxford String Quartet has also recorded for Carlton Classics/Mastersound. This compact disc recording, a collaboration with cellist Merry Peckham, features two recently-discovered string quintets by the nineteenth-century French composer Georges Onslow.
The Oxford String Quartet gratefully acknowledges the Miami University Committee on Faculty Research, and the School of Fine Arts Development Fund for Academic Excellence for support of this project.
Harvey J. Stokes
String Quartet No. 1
I. e = 220 (5:23)
II. e = 62 (4:10)
III. q. = 108 (2:57)
String Quartet No. 2
I. Furioso (9:59)
II. Moderato (6:25)
III. Andante (10:21)
String Quartet No. 3
I. q = ca. 88 (4:51)
II. q = ca. 150 (5:53)
III. q = ca. 66 (8:29)
IV. q = ca. 112 (6:50)
The Oxford String Quartet
Total Time = 65:25
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