Chamber Music of William Busch

Three pieces for violin and piano were written as separate works and can be performed as such individually or, when presented together as a suite, played in any order. William Busch wrote his Passacaglia for violin and viola in 1939. The score has the form of a determined, four-measure theme, followed by thirty variations. These mini-variations have very different characters, ranging from concise and powerful to airy and flowing. A Memory for cello and piano was written for Elizabeth Poston. The quartet for piano and strings is the most extensive of William Busch's chamber music works. Although the lyrical capabilities of the composer are clearly evident, the four movements are also extremely concise. The creative tension between the unforced expressivity of the music and the formal rigor with which Busch's powerful themes are developed provides considerable dramatic impact. The suite for cello and piano ranks among Busch's most demanding and versatile instrumental works. Elegy for cello and piano exploits the lyrical qualities of the string instrument and its ability to fully express rich, autumnal colors. The work begins with an extended monologue for unaccompanied cello, and the cellist leads the entire opening section, which contains only a few brief contributions from the piano. On this album, Simon Callaghan (piano) and Ashok Klouda (cello), both members of the Piatti Quartet, perform.