Taken as a whole, this CD presents a solid compositional voice from Underhill and showcases excellent musicians
Excellent readings by the Montreal-based Bozzini Quartet (violinists Clemens Merkel and Mira Benjamin, violist Stephanie Bozzini, and cellist Isabelle Bozzini), whose devotion to new music — particularly in their annual Composers Kitchen — is laudable.
The four pieces for string quartet recorded here, including a quintet with trombone and clarinet respectively, span a period of 1997-2011. Separately commissioned, the compositions have their own identity. At the same time, a multitude of relationships resonate across the works, contributing to a cyclical quality to the project as a whole. The two string quartets, throughcomposed in a single movement, unfold in juxtapositions of contrasting sections. The two quintets, constructed in multiple movements, were commissioned by two remarkable musicians: Jeremy Berkman and François Houle. Their musical personalities and special skills are embedded in each quintet. Listeners may experience a variety of subtle or more powerful points of contact linking the works on the disc. Certainly for me the compositional process was cumulative, as if each successive work was speaking with and carrying further the experiences of what happened before.
I cannot say that I fell in love with composing for the string quartet from the beginning. Rather, the string quartet seemed to find me, entering into my creative life at periods of intensity in my own life-experience. The intimacy of composing for two violins, a viola and cello has been a challenge and a gift at these times, giving me the opportunity to focus and perhaps intensify the contrasts in my compositional thinking, as if shooting a film in black and white. I am thankful to the Quatuor Bozzini for joining me on this project and for commissioning a new work for the recording. Creating a quartet especially for them, taking into account their musical intelligence and potent interpretation, has made the collection of works complete.