Dover Quartet And Curtis Studio Release WOODLAND SONGS

The two-time GRAMMY-nominated Dover Quartet has released Woodland Songs: Music of Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, Pura Fé, and Dvořák on August 15 via Curtis Studio, the recording label of the Curtis Institute of Music, where the quartet was formed in 2008 and serves as the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence.

"This album is, at its heart, an exploration of the rich inheritance of music from the North American continent," wrote the members of the Dover Quartet in a joint statement. "While the three works contrast each other substantially in style, expression, and historical context, they all share the common influence of music native to North America. Each piece exists in its own sonic and textural world, while informing and enriching the way we listen to the others."

The album features the world premiere recording of Abokkoli' Taloowa' (Woodland Songs) by the Chickasaw-American composer Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, and of his orchestration for string quartet of Rattle Songs, by the Tuscarora/Taino singer-songwriter Pura Fé, a founding member of the Native women's a cappella group Ulali. Both modern artists find inspiration from the traditional music of their respective tribes and traditions, but also imbue their music with wholly original ideas.

That was also the case for Antonín Dvořák when he composed the String Quartet No. 12 in F major, "American," in 1893, while vacationing in a Czech immigrant community in Spillville, Iowa. Though, of course, Dvořák was not of Native heritage, his aim for the piece was to inspire an "American" sound. Like in his famous Symphony No. 9, Dvořák was drawn to the music of American traditions, blending them with his own musical roots.

Commissioned* for the Dover Quartet, Abokkoli' Taloowa' (Woodland Songs) is a modern Chickasaw composition about animals from Tate's Southeastern homelands, where traditional woodland animals are so revered that family clans are named after them and each animal has a special ethos. Tate, whose own family is Shawi' Iksa'-Raccoon Clan, represents five woodland animals with his piece: Squirrel, Woodpecker, Deer, Fish, and Raccoon. "Each movement is like an epitome-a deep, dramatic, and rhapsodic expression of my feelings of being a Chickasaw man from a beautiful and robust culture," he writes in his program note. "I encourage each listener to create their own emotional story of each animal and imprint these legends into their hearts."

Woodland Songs is full of Chickasaw melodies and rhythms. Sometimes these elements appear very clearly, when melodies soar above the ensemble; sometimes they are abstracted into the texture of the quartet and hidden inside the spirit of each animal. "I allow myself to fluidly dance between cultural clarity and modern expressionism," Tate continues. "I am deeply inspired by our modern Native artists, choreographers, authors, and filmmakers-each proudly expressing their individual identity within rich ancestry."

Rattle Songs is a suite that Pura Fé composed for Ulali. The group's 1994 album Mahk Jchi (Our Hearts), which includes the original vocal version, modernizes Native songs through innovative arrangements and rich harmonies. The piece brings together songs from different parts of Indian Country and brilliantly couches them in traditional woodland shell-shaking styles.

*Abokkoli' Taloowa' (Woodland Songs) and the orchestration of Rattle Songs were commissioned for the Dover Quartet by Curtis Institute of Music and the following co-commissioners: Arizona Friends of Chamber Music; Cal Performances, UC Berkeley; Carnegie Hall; Chamber Music Houston; Chamber Music Northwest; Chamber Music Pittsburgh; Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth; Friends of Chamber Music Denver; Kingston Chamber Music Festival; Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music; and Shriver Hall Concert Series.

For more information, please visit doverquartet.com, curtis.edu/WoodlandSongs, and jerodtate.com.

Dover Quartet and Curtis Studio Present Woodland Songs: Music of Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, Pura Fé, and Dvořák

Rattle Songs, by Pura Fé, orchestrated by Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate

1. No. 1, Shanoojhee
2. No. 2, Viri Kuta
3. No. 3, Haweheemo
4. No. 4, Grammah Easter's Lullaby
5. No. 5, For the Pepper (In Memory of Jim Pepper)
6. No. 6, Women's Shuffle
7. No. 7, Great Grandpa's Banjo

Abokkoli' Taloowa' (Woodland Songs), by Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate

1. No. 1, Fani' (Squirrel)
2. No. 2, Bakbak (Woodpecker)
3. No. 3, Issi' (Deer)
4. No. 4, Nani' (Fish)
5. No. 5, Shawi' (Raccoon)

String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179, "American," by Antonín Dvořák

1. I. Allegro ma non troppo
2. II. Lento
3. III. Molto vivace
4. IV. Finale. Vivace ma non troppo

Performed by Dover Quartet

• Joel Link, violin
• Bryan Lee, violin
• Julianne Lee, viola
• Camden Shaw, cello

• Executive producer: Vince Ford
• Producer: Alan Bise
• Recording engineer: Drew Schlegel
• Mastering engineer: Alex Santilli
• Atmos engineer: Stan Kybert
• Assistant producers: Daniel J. Armistead, Vince Ford
• Liner notes: Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha' Tate, Daniel J. Armistead
• Recorded: September 13-14, 2024; January 8-9, 2025 in Gould Rehearsal Hall at Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA
• Release date: August 15, 2025