Casken, John: Piano Quartet

Written for the superb Domus ensemble, Casken's vivid addition to the small number of modern piano quartets exploits the very different sonorities, weight and attack which strings and piano possess. Casken's music has a strong sense of theatre and here the singing lines are constantly threatened by dynamic, rhythmic material. '... this 16-minute single movement explores the essential dichotomy between the dynamic percussive keyboard and the singing, more cohesive strings.' (Christopher Morley. The Birmingham Post. 1990)