Quartet for the End of Music

Published by Tuba-Euphonium Press - purchase here

for Bass Clarinet, Cello, Tuba, and Percussionist (Marimba/Bass Drum) (2006)

Winner of a 2006 Harvey Phillips Award for Composition
Excellence from the International Tuba-Euphonium Association

"Quartet for the End of Music" was commissioned by tubist Jeff Meyer. The piece
was premiered at his Senior Recital at the Eastman School of Music in May, 2004,
by Juliet Grabowski (bass clarinet), Patti Garvey (cello), Jeff Meyer (tuba),
Sean Connors (percussion), and Chappell Kingsland (conductor).
The piece may be performed with or without a conductor.
The musicians must be instrumentalists, actors, and singers. The sung and
dramatic parts of the work are equally as important as the instrumental parts.
Sung pitches written on a 3-line staff indicate only the top, middle, and low range
of the singer's voice - the exact pitch is irrelevant. Sung pitches written on a
5-line staff, however, must be realized exactly. If these notes are too high for
the singer, they may be transposed down an octave.
All of the singing is on phonemes from the word "Music". Where it is written to
sustain a "k" or a "z", the singer must do just that, with no trace of a vowel.
Yes, the title is poking fun at "Quartet for the End of Time" by Olivier Messiaen,
though I respect the composer and enjoy his music greatly.
After the musicians come onstage, they should recite the following text from
memory, dramatically and slowly:
"And the Angel of the Apocalypse raised his hand to the heavens and said,
'There shall be no more Music.' "