Quartet - FL/OB/BSN/PN

by Bill Douglas (b. 1944) - Canadian musician, composer, pianist, and bassoonist

I. Cantilena

II. Full Moon

III. Andalucia

IV. Bebop Cantabile

This pieces was commissioned in January 2009, completed in May 2009. The titles of the first first and last movements reflect the composer's interest in writing long, singing melodic lines. These movements follow the basic jazz form: a unison theme, followed by an improvisation on the chords of the theme, and then a return to the theme with variations. In this case, however, the improvisation sections are completely written out. Andalucia is a region of southern Spain. Douglas has toured there on three separate occasions, and has noted that when people really like a piece of music, they often applaud in the tempo of the movement, in a fast three.