My complete String Quartets, so far .....

String Quartets

String Quartet 3 ‘Fachwen’ Opus 107

The Fachwen Quartet was composed at Swn y Llyn, my home in Wales, during the turbulent and unpredictable summer of 1997. The work is dedicated to my daughters, Kate and Amelia, who offered love, light, hope and sanity during these tormented and difficult weeks.

There are four movements. The 1st is a gentle lament – and the most ‘relaxed’ – whereas the 2nd, 3rd and 4th movements represent attempts to retain control which are at times obsessive (2), questioning (2) and operatic, dramatic, violent and dissonant (4)

Woven into these textures are fleeting evocations of another source of inspiration – the roots and continuity of community characteristic of Wales and of Gwynedd in particular and here represented by a mix of half-hymn and almost-folksong which, after some attempts, concludes the work.

Recorded by the Jan Becher String Quartet at State Opera House, Prague, in July 1998

Fachwen, Wales, 1997

For Kate and Amelia Bullock

String Quartet 3 'Fachwen' 4

String Quartet 3 'Fachwen' 3

String Quartet 3 'Fachwen' 2

String Quartet 3 'Fachwen' 1

String Quartet 4 ‘Faust’ Opus 114

The Faust Quartet was composed in Luxembourg just before Christmas, 1997. The brief quotations from Goethe’s Faust were added to the respective movements when the process of composition was already complete, and so the listener is free to read as much or as little of these references into the music as he or she chooses.

What remains fixed is the character of each movement. The 1st strives lyrically (Faust: … that I may experience the innermost connections of the world … ), the 2nd is a clear schizophrenic blend of sereno and sardonico (Mephistopheles: … I am the spirit who constantly negates … ), the 3rd contrasts the bucolic (Auerbach’s Keller: … will nobody laugh, nobody drink?) with a meditative, sweet and highly disturbed trio (Gretgen: … but! – everything that drove me to it, God, it was so good, so lovely!) and finally the 4th movement is a restless and disintegrating act of will, the Promethean opening being only perhaps and partly re-established in the closing bars (Faust: … you must! You must! And if it costs my life … ).

Recorded by the Jan Becher String Quartet at State Opera House, Prague, in July 1998

Buschdorf, Luxembourg, 1997

For David Charlston

String Quartet 4 'Faust' 4

SString Quartet 4 ‘Faust’ Opus 114

The Faust Quartet was composed in Luxembourg just before Christmas, 1997. The brief quotations from Goethe’s Faust were added to the respective movements when the process of composition was already complete, and so the listener is free to read as much or as little of these references into the music as he or she chooses.

What remains fixed is the character of each movement. The 1st strives lyrically (Faust: … that I may experience the innermost connections of the world … ), the 2nd is a clear schizophrenic blend of sereno and sardonico (Mephistopheles: … I am the spirit who constantly negates … ), the 3rd contrasts the bucolic (Auerbach’s Keller: … will nobody laugh, nobody drink?) with a meditative, sweet and highly disturbed trio (Gretgen: … but! – everything that drove me to it, God, it was so good, so lovely!) and finally the 4th movement is a restless and disintegrating act of will, the Promethean opening being only perhaps and partly re-established in the closing bars (Faust: … you must! You must! And if it costs my life … ).

Recorded by the Jan Becher String Quartet at State Opera House, Prague, in July 1998

Buschdorf, Luxembourg, 1997

For David Charlston

String Quartet 4 'Faust'  3

String Quartet 4 'Faust' 2

String Quartet 4 'Faust' 1

String Quartet 5 ‘Prague’ Opus 115

A wistful 1st movement with an impassioned middle section, the first part being repeated with varied textures. The 2nd movement is sombre, with serious chordal passages which attempt to move towards the light. Emotional and hopeful music, despite the uncompromising ending. This is followed by a light, ambiguous scherzo with some echos of Dvorak and includes a fragmented Trio with short, sharp, stabbing phrases. After an almost light and whimsical opening the 4th movement remains restless, unsettled, and evokes the previous movements.

Buschdorf, Luxembourg, 1998

Dedicated to the Jan Becher String Quartet, Prague



Printed score available here: http://stores.lulu.com/dolbadarn

String Quartet 5 'Prague': 3

String Quartet 5 ‘Prague’ Opus 115

A wistful 1st movement with an impassioned middle section, the first part being repeated with varied textures. The 2nd movement is sombre, with serious chordal passages which attempt to move towards the light. Emotional and hopeful music, despite the uncompromising ending. This is followed by a light, ambiguous scherzo with some echos of Dvorak and includes a fragmented Trio with short, sharp, stabbing phrases. After an almost light and whimsical opening the 4th movement remains restless, unsettled, and evokes the previous movements.

Buschdorf, Luxembourg, 1998

Dedicated to the Jan Becher String Quartet, Prague


Printed score available here: http://stores.lulu.com/dolbadarn

String Quartet 5 'Prague': 2

String Quartet 5 'Prague': 1

String Quartet 2 ‘For Spring and New Life’ Opus 35

The 1st movement offers a slow renewal, ever stronger. A fleeting 2nd movement and the 3rd, equally fleeting, features chorale-like phrases over a running bass, with pauses and questions. A second section, ostinato pizzicato, supports strident but still lyrical phrases before the return of the first section. The 4th movements begin with more lyricism over pedal points with interruptions from irregular pizzicato passages. References to and adaptations of the opening of the 1st movement lead to a quiet ending.

Leudelange, Luxembourg, 1989

String Quartet 2 'For Spring and New Life': 4

String Quartet 2 'For Spring and New Life': 3

String Quartet 2  'For Spring and New Life': 2

String Quartet 2 ‘For Spring and New Life’ Opus 35

The 1st movement offers a slow renewal, ever stronger. A fleeting 2nd movement and the 3rd, equally fleeting, features chorale-like phrases over a running bass, with pauses and questions. A second section, ostinato pizzicato, supports strident but still lyrical phrases before the return of the first section. The 4th movements begin with more lyricism over pedal points with interruptions from irregular pizzicato passages. References to and adaptations of the opening of the 1st movement lead to a quiet ending.

Leudelange, Luxembourg, 1989

For Spring and New Life

String Quartet 2  'For Spring and New Life': 1

String Quartet 1 Opus 24

Very much an experimental attempt, which later found resonance in Brazil, including performances. There are five moments. The 1st evolves over a pedal point, but remains on one level quite static. The 2nd is similar, but over an ostinato and with refreshing interruptions. The third a dissonant somewhat threnodic march with lyrical interludes. The 4th is a tonally ambiguous lyrical movement and the 5th develops variations over a ground bass.

Leudelange, Luxembourg and London, 1988

For the Lang Quartet, Heidelberg

Score available: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/dolbadarn

String Quartet 1: 5

String Quartet 1 Opus 24

Very much an experimental attempt, which later found resonance in Brazil, including performances. There are five moments. The 1st evolves over a pedal point, but remains on one level quite static. The 2nd is similar, but over an ostinato and with refreshing interruptions. The third a dissonant somewhat threnodic march with lyrical interludes. The 4th is a tonally ambiguous lyrical movement and the 5th develops variations over a ground bass.

Leudelange, Luxembourg and London, 1988

For the Lang Quartet, Heidelberg
Score available: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/dolbadarn

String Quartet 1: 4

String Quartet 1: 3

String Quartet 1: 2

String Quartet 1 Opus 24

Very much an experimental attempt, which later found resonance in Brazil, including performances. There are five moments. The 1st evolves over a pedal point, but remains on one level quite static. The 2nd is similar, but over an ostinato and with refreshing interruptions. The third a dissonant somewhat threnodic march with lyrical interludes. The 4th is a tonally ambiguous lyrical movement and the 5th develops variations over a ground bass.

Leudelange, Luxembourg and London, 1988
For the Lang Quartet, Heidelberg

Score available: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/dolbadarn

String Quartet 1: 1

Dafydd Bullock was born in  Llanberis, Gwynedd, Cymru (Wales).

A composer, he graduated in Music (University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, 1971 - 1976) where he studied with George Hadjinikos, and took a Master's Degree in International Relations (University of Sussex, 1981 - 1983). In 1993 and 1994 he won first prizes at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and in 1995 he was honoured in Wales by admission to the highest Order of the Gorsedd of Bards. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2005.

His compositions include 40 symphonies, 19 symphonic poems, 2 operas, 2 Requiems, 2 Mass settings, a Missa Brevis, an oratorio, 40 string quartets, 9 trios and other chamber music and many songs and pieces for piano. He has written scores for 2 films. 

Works have been published in the British Isles by Oriana Publications, Cwmni Gwynn, Curiad and Bardic Edition, in Belgium by Alain Van Kerckhoven Editeur, in the USA and in Luxembourg by Luxembourg Music Publishers, Music Enterprise and Double You. He has made 41 CDs to date, with SAIN (Wales), AVK (Belgium) and LakeSound. His music has been performed and listened to and broadcast in over 140 countries, including Japan, China, USA, Brazil and Colombia as well as widely within Europe.  

Dafydd Bullock has a particular relationship with Prague: his Second Symphony was given its world premiere by Musici de Praga during the 1996 Prague Spring Festival and the Third Symphony, again in Prague, on St. Valentine's Day, 1997. The third and fourth String Quartets were also recorded in Prague (Becher Quartet) as were the complete works for Cello and Piano (Jindrich Ptacek) and five Trios. More recently, Virtuosi di Basso, the twelve solo celli of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra have recorded and performed music especially written for them. Recently he premiered his Requiem for Jan Palach in Luxembourg and in Prague.

Dafydd Bullock wurde in 1953 in Llanberis, Gwynedd, Cymru (Wales) geboren. Er studierte an der Universität Manchester und am Royal Northern College of Music (Professor George Hadjinikos) von 1971 bis 1976, wo er sein Examen in Musik ablegte. Weiterhin studierte er Politikwissenschaft mit dem Schwerpunkt ‘Internationale Beziehungen’ von 1981 bis 1983 an der Universität Sussex. Dieses Studium schloß er mit der Magister Prüfung ab. Er arbeitet als Komponist. 1993 und 1994 gewann er erste Preise im Fach Komposition an der National Eisteddfod of Wales. Im Jahre 1995 wurde er in Wales durch Verleihung des höchsten Grads der Gorsedd of Bards geehrt und in 2005 wurde er Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. 

Zu seinen Kompositionen gehören 40 Sinfonien, 19 sinfonische Dichtungen, 2 Opern, 2 Messen, 2 Requiem, 40 Streichquartette, 9 Trios und weitere Kammermusik und viele Klavierwerke. Er hat 2 Filmmusiken komponiert.
Verschiedene Werke werden von Oriana Publications, Bardic Edition, Cwmni Gwynn und Curiad in Großbritannien, von Alain van Kerckhoven Editeur in Belgien, und von  Luxembourg Music Publishers, LakeSound, Music Enterprise und Double You in Luxemburg veröffentlicht. Bis jetzt hat er 41 CDs unter anderen bei den Firmen SAIN (Wales) und AVK (Belgien) und LakeSound gemacht.  Seine Musik wurde in mehr als 140 Ländern gehört, gesendet und aufgeführt einschließlich in Japan, China, USA, Brasilien und Columbien, sowie in Europa.