Mario Diaz de Leon

String Quartet No. 2: "Psalterion"

(2007)

Duration	16'
Commission	Commissioned by Museum of Biblical Art NYC
Premiere	January 27, 2007; Museum of Biblical Art NYC; Allsar Quartet • Amie Weiss, Erik Carlson, Miranda Sielaff, and Chris Gross
Technical requirements	For print purchases, please contact the publisher to obtain audio files: info@eamdc.com Digital purchases include audio files with performance materials.
Publisher	PSNY

Media

mariodiazdeleon · String Quartet No. 2 - Psalterion (2007)

Program Note

The title Psalterion is a Greek word for string instrument or harp, from which the word psalm is derived. It originally referred to “a song sung to a harp”, from psallein “to pluck”. Inspired by the sustained electronic harmonies of Maryanne Amacher’s 'VM3 From The Levi-Montaclini Variations’, I used an autoharp to design the tuning of the quartet’s sixteen open strings, a chord rooted on the cello’s low B-flat. The sonority features a slight detuning of the second violin and viola on the order of cents. When played in combination with corresponding strings of the same pitch, these fine differences produce a variety of “singing” or beating effects.

In response to this commission by the Museum of Biblical Art for their “Hearing the Sacred” series, I drew inspiration from the opening of the Book of Ezekiel, which vividly describes the prophet’s vision of four anthropomorphic angelic creatures, who, in consort with a mechanical wheel structure, are capable of unique forms of levitated motion. As such, the piece narrates a mystical experience, perceptually revealed through the resonance of open strings and their natural harmonics.

– Mario Diaz de Leon
June 2022, New York City

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Voice and Piano Score (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (4 required for performance) (Digital)

solo part and piano reduction (Digital)

solo part and piano reduction (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (6 scores required for performance) (Digital)

Performance Score (includes 4 scores) (Print)

Choral Scores (Digital - Bulk Purchase for Performance) (Digital)
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Choral Score Set (Digital)

Choral Score Set (16 copies) (Digital)

Choral Score Set (License for 16 copies) (Digital)

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Pricing reflects cost of 5 digital scores.

Full Score/Performance Score (8 scores required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (5 copies required for performance) (Print)

Vocal Score - single copy (Digital)

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Vocal Score Set - License for 16 copies (Digital)

Vocal Score Set - 16 copies (Print)

Score (Digital)

Score (Print)

Volume 1 (Print)

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Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 5 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (6 scores needed for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 6 copies) (Digital)

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Free ToneBase Digital Download (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (3 scores required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (3 scores required for performance) (Digital)

Free download with code ToneBaseFree (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (price reflects 3 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Choral Score (set of 12) (Digital)

Full Score/Choral Score (set of 12) (Print)

Voice and Piano Score (Digital)

Full score and Solo Part (Digital)

Full Score/Violin Part (Digital)

Full Score/Violin Part (Print)

Conductor Score (Print)

Score and part (Print)

Score and part (Digital)

Choral Score Set - 16 copies (Print)
Includes 8 copies of the soprano/alto part and 8 copies of the tenor/bass part.

Piano Reduction and solo parts (Digital)

Chamber Ensemble Score (Print)

Choral Score Set - 20 copies (Print)

Full Score (4 needed for performance) (Print)

Parts (Mov. 11 only) (Print)

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Full Score/Performance Score (2 required for performance) (Print)

Full Score/Performance Score (includes 3 copies) (Digital)

Full Score/Performance Score (includes 3 copies) (Print)

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Choral Score Set (40 copies) (Print)

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Score and part PDF files are delivered via email upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase.

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Soprano/Alto Part (Print)

Choral Score Set (License for 50 copies) (Digital)

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Solo Instrument Score (Digital)
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Full Score/Performance Score (Digital)
The full score serves as a performance score for all players. A score PDF file is delivered via email upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. An email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer's email address.

Score and Parts (Print)
A print edition of the score and part(s) ship to the customer's address upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. The email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer.

Solo Instrument Score (Print)
A print edition of the score is shipped to the customer's address upon receipt. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase. An email containing a link to download the electronic files is sent to the customer's email address.

Full Score/Performance Score (Print)
The full score serves as a performance score for all players. Print edition(s) of the full score/performance score are shipped to the customer's address upon receipt. Multiple copies are included if the work has more than one player. Any electronic files associated with the work are included with every purchase.

Choral Score (Digital)
A PDF file of the choral score is delivered via email upon receipt. The set is priced to allow multiple copies of the PDF to be printed for performance by the purchasing organization only.

Study Score (print) (Digital)

Study Score (print) (Print)

Choral Score Set- 8 copies (Print)
Minimum order quantity is 8 copies. Single copies are not available.

SATB choral score (Print)

Vocal Score (Digital)

Vocal Score (Print)

Choral Score (Print)

Full Score and Solo Part (Print)
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