Island Prelude (score & parts) - OB/STG4

Island Prelude
for oboe and string quartet (with optional contrabass part)
by Joan Tower (b. 1938) - American composer, conductor, and pianist

Island Prelude starts with a slow-moving consonant landscape that gradually becomes more active and dissonant. Above this terrain, the oboe emerges as a slightly more prominent and melismatic line which in turn activates the surrounding chords. Finally, the oboe releases its contained energy in two short cadenzas ruling upwards in a burst of fast notes that lead into a final, quiet coda. This last section is again very slow, sustained, high, and distant.
--Joan Tower

Originally written (1989) for WW5 (with solo oboe) this version by the composer was premiered by Peter Bowman (with string orchestra) and the St Louis Symphony and the version for oboe and string quartet has been recorded by Richard Woodhams and the Tokyo String Quartet.

Duration: 10:00