This work was created as a concert companion to Schubert's masterful quintet that similarly adds an extra cello to a standard string quartet. It is cast in four sections, the first of which moves at a fair pace, exploring different instrumental pairings. This is in ternary form (A-B-A) with a slower middle section introducing new textures to be developed later.

The second section is a classic slow movement, followed by what used to be called a Minuet – a faster interlude with lighter contrasting material, though here mostly in seven rather than the usual three beats per bar. The last section is a Presto Finale, marked by a slower contrasting pool at its centre and a reckless accelerando to the final bar.

It was commissioned for Musica Viva Australia by Julian Burnside AO QC, and first performed in 2009 by the Jerusalem String Quartet and Zvi Plesser in Perth, Western Australia.

Carl Vine, 26 April 2009