Emily Howard: Afference (world premiere) / Elias Str Qt // May 4th 2015

[DracoM]

Electrifying piece, and staggeringly well-played by Elias Str Qt.

Whether it is more than a collection of virtuoso sfx I'm not sure, but as dramatic writing and dramatic chamber music radio, pretty damned good!

Many thx.

[Roehre]

Staggeringly played by the Elias quartet, that's for sure.

However, I am afraid IMVHO the playing doesn't disguise the lack of coherence, a lack of overall structure.
It's an admittedly intriguing chain of gestures. But none of them is particularly exciting, though there is that striking klezmer-like one. It reminded me repeatedly of Crumb's 1972 Black Angels, even inadvertently so by a loud cough in the public.
A bit oldfashioned I think.

[DracoM]

Black Angels - of course! Yes, I knew there was something nagging as I listened.
Still, I'd want to hear Afference a second time, partic with string playing like that.

[MrGongGong]

Black Angels - of course! Yes,.

In the top 5 greatest string quartets of the last century IMV

Time to listen to this one then ...... thanks

[eighthobstruction]

....A tremendous sound....superb attack and commitment....

[Serial_Apologist]

Afference - so THAT's what Mandelson was on about!