Intimate Voices

In November 2010 Intimate Voices won the Society for Music Theory's Citation of Special Merit. This citation is awarded to 'editions, translations, reference works, or edited volumes of extraordinary value to the discipline.' The citation states: '[Intimate Voices] examines the string quartets of composers from Claude Debussy through Shulamit Ran, and including those of Berg, Bartok, Schoenberg, Prokofiev, Ligeti, Cage, Britten, Carter, Berio, and others. The twenty different contributing authors provide multiple analytical voices, resulting in a contrapuntal conversation much like the string quartet medium under review. * . *
Superb. . . . A unified and eminently readable narrative. . . . The most thorough, authoritative and comprehensive study of modern chamber music. . . . Standards of production are up to the publisher's usual high standards. . . . Each contributor skilfully, sensitively and intelligently . . . sets the music s/he is considering in the widest historical and musical context. . . . Useful reading for players as well as listeners, composers and others. CLASSICALNET [Mark Sealey] Read the complete review at . * . *
A magnificent sweep through many key works in twentieth-century musical history. -- Michael Russ, See full review at http://www.music.ucc.ie/jsmi/index.php/jsmi/article/view/84/93 * JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR MUSIC IN IRELAND *
Intimate Voices takes us on a kaleidoscopic ride through a century of string quartets. Players, historians, and theorists alike will appreciate the deeply musical commitment of twenty major writers exploring this medium, from Debussy to modern American, with composers such as Bartok and Scelsi in the same optic, through evidence-based music analysis in a social context. It is a Herculean project, superbly executed by editor Evan Jones. -, professor of music theory, Eastman School of Music -- Jonathan Dunsby
A broad collection of serious essays about music in a medium that is very much alive. . . . There is something here for everyone, not just specialists in musical analysis. . . . It is also good that the work of several composers whose quartets are not often heard-Carter's, Scelsi's, Powell's, and Ran's-are brought to our attention. . . . Each [essay] has something interesting to say about the medium and the music and how we can talk about it. * FANFARE *