String Quartet Nr. 1 "Last of ebb, and daylight waning" String Quartet - Digital Sheet Music

SKU: A0.1946359

String Quartet No. 1 (2012) "Last of ebb, and daylight waning"

String Quartet No. 1 was composed in 2012 in memory of Jürgen Geise, Professor of Viola at the Mozarteum University Salzburg. An inspiring teacher, musician, and mentor, he influenced not only my own artistic development but that of hundreds of students, particularly through his passion for chamber music and chamber orchestra performance.

The quartet bears the Walt Whitman quotation “last of ebb, and daylight waning” and seeks to capture the elegiac atmosphere of a final sunset. In composing the work, I drew on many memories of Millstatt in Carinthia, on the shores of the Millstätter See, where we performed together on numerous occasions. At the same time, the music attempts to convey something of the vitality, enthusiasm, and generosity that Jürgen Geise communicated to all who worked with him.

The third movement contains references to works that were important in my studies with him, including Bach’s six-part Ricercar from The Musical Offering, as well as a quotation from my early work "Passage" for cello and strings, a composition that Jürgen Geise championed from its first performances.

While the quartet is rooted in remembrance, it is not intended as a work of mourning alone. Its energy and forward momentum reflect the optimism that was central to Jürgen Geise’s outlook on life. In this sense, the work stands as both a tribute and a celebration of a remarkable musician, teacher, and friend.