"Marcus Aurelius, warrior emperor, philosopher and poet during the Second Century AD, reminds us that people with enormous power do not always fall victim to their own vanity. Total power may usually corrupt totally, but not always. I find this heartening, especially in 2022 during another time of war, where titanic egos guiding powerful militaries battle each other with real life consequences for ordinary people and elites alike. Aurelius was indeed a bloodily victorious commander of Roman legions, defeating numerous enemies on the battle field during his reign. But the emperor continued his introspective journey throughout most of his life, honing his "inner world," to use a modern phrase, as he tried to maintain a balance between being the most powerful person on the planet and a man answerable to his own conscience and higher philosophy. Brussels-based classical, jazz, funk and new-age composer Koben Sprengers notes that Aurelius' "Meditations," as they are popularly known, were written not for publication but "for himself, as a sort of diary or personal notebook; to frequently remind himself of the important lessons and wisdom he had learned from the ancient philosophers. Since his writings were aimed at himself, I found that these paragraphs had a very intimate, familiar voice to them. Like a grandfather patiently explaining something to his overly curious grandchild, almost soothing..." I hope Marcus Aurelius' stable intelligent voice and vision, as portrayed in his own words and through music composed by the young firebrand Koben Sprengers, gives you solace and inspiration during this remarkable and troubling period of history." (Bob Attiyeh, producer)

Track List

1. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation I
2. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation II
3. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation III
4. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation IV
5. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation V
6. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation VI
7. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation VII
8. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation VIII
9. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation IX
10. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation X
11. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XI
12. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XII
13. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XIII
14. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XIV
15. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XV
16. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XVI
17. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XVII
18. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XVIII
19. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XIX
20. Meditations for String Quartet original version~Meditation XX
21. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation I
22. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation II
23. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation III
24. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation IV
25. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation V
26. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation VI
27. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation VII
28. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation VIII
29. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation IX
30. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation X
31. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XI
32. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XII
33. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XIII
34. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XIV
35. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XV
36. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XVI
37. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XVII
38. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XVIII
39. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XIX
40. Meditations for String Quartet instrumental version~Meditation XX