Johnson: String Quartet No. 5 "A Triptych on Red Skelton Tunes"

A. Paul Johnson's String Quartet No. 5 - "A Triptych on Red Skelton Tunes"

Comedian, artist, and composer Red Skelton is a true vision of Americana, but his vast compositional output is much less known than his comedy and paintings - many of which portrayed clowns. Composer A. Paul Johnson has taken three of Skelton's compositional themes and turned them into a masterful work for String Quartet.  While "A Wooden Ballerina" and "Red's White and Blue March" are more recognizable in their lively forms, Johnson takes "The Merry Blacksmith" and transforms it into the classic image of Red Skelton's paintings. The movement begins with a sad longing melody in the violin as the clown slowly applies his makeup, before the melody transforms into a jig as the clown takes to the stage and puts on his "happy" face, then retreating back stage.

Funding for the composition and premiere of the String Quartet No. 5 were provided by The Arts Federation’s American Rescue Plan Arts Grant Program. Dollars for this program were awarded to TAF by the National Endowment for the Arts.