B-A-G-D-A-D, Music on a six-note theme (for string quartet)
Milos Raickovich
About this work:
Also arranged for: orchestra; string orchestra; piano; harp. "B-A-G-D-A-D, Music on a six-note theme" was first written as a piano piece in September 2002, during the worldwide struggle to stop the war before it started. This work is a musical dedication to the ancient city, Baghdad. The name of this capital (spelled the European way, without letter H) is used as a musical theme made of six notes: B-flat, A, G, D, A, D. In 2004, I wrote three new versions of this piece: a string quartet, a string orchestra, and an orchestral version. In 2006, I wrote a version of "B-A-G-D-A-D" for solo harp. In the orchestral version, prominent solos are assigned to the harp, flute and oboe—our contemporary instruments with origins in Mesopotamian civilization.
Three arrangements of this composition, along with my other antiwar pieces, are released on my CD "B-A-G-D-A-D" (Albany Records).
Version: for string quartet
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:07:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:String Quartet
Instrumentation: 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello