An Overflow for String Quartet - Live Recording

Here An Overflow for String Quartet performed by students from the Baltimore School for the Arts, Nils Schwerzmann, Kenesha Pope, Sidney Hall, Thillman Benham.

Enjoy!

YouTube - An Overflow for String Quartet

really..people comments would be nice.

Well... it is very nice! I can't find much to talk about.
from about 86-98, IMO, it seemed a little too busy. I kind of lost the feel of the song there.

Good job.

I would have liked to hear/see a little more variation in the pulse and tempo.
You have this wonderful section with the repeated B in the first-violin - mm. 86 - 98 - but even that, because of the homogeneity of the string sound, needs some cleaning. Consider inserting some silence so that the B repetition comes out as an uneven pulse, rather than as this repeated pedal tone. Either that, or bring all the instruments to the B at some points, to create a double-layer effect with both B-pedal and B-pulse.

Your experience in choral writing is evident in this piece, but unfortunately, I don't see very much that could not be accomplished by voices, outside of the ranges and occasional double-stops. Strings are wonderfully versatile instruments, and I would play around with using some techniques that can only be achieved by them.

I would also be wary of that opening section. The way it's built, it sounds like the Theme and First variation of a set. Perhaps develop the opening theme in the second repetition a little more - add some early development before the actual development to emphasize that no, we're not going to be hearing this melody for the next 8 pages.

You've got a really good foundation to this piece, and quite a nice frame. I think it needs just a little bit of detail-work to make it really shine.

Thank you both for your input, I do plan on making some changes to it. And your comments are very helpful! I dont plan on touching 89-96, its exactly what I wanted and the effect can work very nicely.

Scott

Christopher brings out some good points on this one. I would like to add a couple of my own. Since the timbre of the strings are all so close, you really need to go out of your way to bring in some variation with them. Use every aspect of the instrument. They are capable of so many sounds and the more you vary them as a whole, the more interesting a piece can be. I hear some great places in this and some that are just a bit ho hum. I think you know which are which. Although you do change the tempo some in this, I think it always helps with string quartets to do some major tempo changes from time to time. It also helps to give the listener a brake from hearing all of the strings all of the time. Do a few short duets and solos.

When you finally get a professional recording of this, I also suggest you don't include the kid talking at the end. Unless of course he is depicted on the score. I didn't see his part listed, but I didn't scrutinize the score. (sorry, I had to say it)

I am very happy for you that you are getting all of these live performances. Each one will help you to see what works in your music. Watch the audience as your pieces are performed and you will see what they like and dislike. Or you can do as I do in my music. Compose just for yourself and say to hell with fame and fortune. But you are too young to go that route.

Congrats again

Ron

I see what you all are saying. And i know now the abilities of the instruments thanks to the John Corigliano Violin Concerto and will make my next string composition contain those tecniques. But I think of the piece as more of a structure and journey piece and i like it the way it is :/. Sorry. I really know I can do better NOW, and I will but i think the book is closed on this one.