A Bon-Vivant’s Companion (2023)
Duration: 10:00
Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola and cello
Premiere: September 14, 2025 by Attacca Quartet at Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA
Notes:
A Bon-Vivant’s Companion was written as a gift to my dear friends in the Attacca Quartet, in celebration of their twenty-first season as a quartet. Each movement is named after a drink that might be enjoyed on a night out with friends and can be played as a set, or as individual character pieces.
Appropriately, the set opens with an Aperó—something light and bubbly—which serves to get the (musical) conversation started. The music is bright and energetic, full of shimmering harmonics. Next, Old Pals (Quodlibet)—equal parts rye, Campari, and dry vermouth—is nostalgic and reflective. This drink is shared perhaps a little later in the evening, reminiscing about old times. The music is full of references (some clear and some hidden) to music we have shared over the years. And finally, the set ends with Caffè corretto—espresso with a shot of liquor—which might be served quite late, or even early the next morning. This finale is a highly-strung tarantella, with a more lyrical melody that sometimes floats over the edgier faster music (uppers and downers…). As an added homage to the quartet, each movement contains a musical motive derived from spelling “Attacca” in notes: A-B-B-A-C-C-A.