Suite for Strings in D

Suite for Strings in D is an original work that draws its inspiration from previous classical composers of the genre—individuals that set evolving standards in the medium over centuries—including Antonín Dvořák, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Edvard Grieg, and Peter Warlock.  The Suite for Strings in D was written to capture some of the stylistic elements found among the works of these composers using musical motives from Keaton’s sketchbooks that have been consolidated into a dance suite with a general four-voice texture to produce a lyrical suite for strings.

Stylistic emulations are visible throughout the Suite for Strings in the “Waltz” (Tchaikovsky), the two-part “Ouverture” (Purcell and Corelli), the “Rigaudon” (Peter Warlock), and “La Réjouissance” (Handel).  The suite’s fourth movement, “Alla Marcia,” conveys Keaton’s personal style apart from the other movements’ emulations.