THOMAS SIMAKU (b.1958): String Quartets No. 2 "Radius" and No. 3 "Voci Celesti", Due Sotto-Voci for Violin Solo, Soliloquies No. 1 for Violin Solo, No. 2 for Cello Solo and No. 3 for Viola Solo.

Catalogue Number: 07K113
Label: Naxos
Reference: 8.570428
Format: CD
Price: $11.98
Description: Simaku is Albanian-born and studied in the UK and USA. His early exposure to Eastern European folk musics had a lasting impact, readily apparent in these works for strings, in their heterophonic textures, freely improvisational quality and microtonal inflections. The two quartets explore complex textures while both are 'anchored' by drone-like material underlining their ethnic origins. The solo string pieces suggest an unbroken quasi-vocal line with accompaniment, with constant deviations from pure pitch, further suggesting resonances of ancient vocal traditions. Kreutzer Quartet.