1996

for string quartet

By:

• John Psathas

Duration:

08' 00"

Contents:

single movement

Samples

	Score (145k)	Pages 8-9	© Promethean Editions
	Recording (467k)	No description
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Availability

• This work has 2 scores, 5 Media on Demand, 5 recordings and a resource

Media on Demand

Programme Note

The composer writes: ”Drafted immediately after reading a book by the Buddhist guru Chögyam Trungpa, Abhisheka was my first-ever attempt at writing music with space in it. Until this piece, practically everything I had written was ultra-caffeinated, fast, full of notes, and murder on performers. But having been (albeit temporarily) inspired by the great truths and peace in Trungpa’s writing, I found myself navigating slower passages of musical time, as well as exploring the microcosm of inner space between the even intervals of our chromatic tuning system.”

Notes taken from Promethean Editions.

Difficulty:

Advanced

Related Works

Abhisheka	John Psathas
Abhisheka	John Psathas

Performance History

	23 Aug 1998	Performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in Nelson
	14 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Aotea Centre in Auckland as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	15 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Aotea Centre in Auckland as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	16 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Aotea Centre in Auckland as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	17 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Aotea Centre in Auckland as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	20 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	21 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	24 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the TSB Theatre in New Plymouth as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	28 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Regent on Broadway in Palmerston North as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	29 Feb 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at Regent on Broadway in Palmerston North as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	04 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Civic Theatre in Invercargill as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	07 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	08 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	12 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	13 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	14 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	15 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Isaac Theatre Royal in Christchurch as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	19 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Westpac St James Theatre in Wellington as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	20 Mar 2008	Performed by Royal New Zealand Ballet at the Westpac St James Theatre in Wellington as part of the Red tour, choreographed by Adrian Burnett, designed by Tracy Grant Lord, and the performance used the recording of Abhisheka performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 from album, Rhythm Spike (Rattle Records).
		New Zealand String Quartet    Royal New Zealand Ballet
	28 Sep 2008	Performed by players from the Auckland Chamber Orchestra
		Auckland Chamber Orchestra
	26 May 2009	Performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999 and broadcast on Radio New Zealand Concert in May 2009
		New Zealand String Quartet
	16 Jun 2009	Performed by the New Zealand String Quartet in 1999. This recording was broadcast on ‘Light on New Zealand Composers’ by Eva Light at 3mbs Melbourne, Australia
		New Zealand String Quartet
	13 Nov 2009	Performed by the New Zealand String Quartet
		New Zealand String Quartet

Events

	31 Mar 2012	Performed by the New Zealand String Quartet as part of the “New Zealand at Kings Place. New Worlds, New Perspectives” series in London.
		New Zealand String Quartet

Awards

• IAMIC 'Sounds of the Year' (2000)
  

  Abhisheka by John Psathas was chosen for the list of string quartets in 2000 for ‘IAMIC Sounds of the Year’.’’