Soliloquy for String Quartet No. 3

Whatever happened to the score on the way to this site...?

Whatever happened to the score on the way to this site...?

I just uploaded two JPG files of the score, but it doesn't seem to appear!

Whatever happened to the score on the way to this site...?

I uploaded a PDF of the score for your convenience.

Thanks for uploading the score .

I'd note a few flaws on the piece: a) excessive reliance on repetitions, b) balance problems among the four instruments (the violins are underused, especially the second one, which plays too little, too late), c) even as the diverse sections repeat each other, I can't really identify the main melodic material, d) no modulations.

If I was allowed to make a suggestion, I'd recommend to rework the piece using less repetitions and more variants (and I'd beg for at least one modulation, no matter how short!). And if you're calling for any given instrument for your works, you'd better give the players something to do .

Thanks for uploading the score .I'd note a few flaws on the piece: a) excessive reliance on repetitions, b) balance problems among the four instruments (the violins are underused, especially the second one, which plays too little, too late), c) even as the diverse sections repeat each other, I can't really identify the main melodic material, d) no modulations.If I was allowed to make a suggestion, I'd recommend to rework the piece using less repetitions and more variants (and I'd beg for at least one modulation, no matter how short!). And if you're calling for any given instrument for your works, you'd better give the players something to do .

Thanks Austenite for your valuable criticism and suggestions. I will take not of them in future compositions!

*I mean 'note'.

Regarding your point "c", I wouldn't say that a string quartet is necessarily about melody, would you? I would even go so far as to say that music need not necessarily be about melody. We may seek to create a mood through a composition, without spelling out an easily identifiable melody, or at least not a complete melody.

But since you said "melodic material", maybe I am misinterpreting your comment?

I wouldn't say that a string quartet is necessarily about melody, would you? I would even go so far as to say that music need not necessarily be about melody. We may seek to create a mood through a composition, without spelling out an easily identifiable melody, or at least not a complete melody.But since you said "melodic material", maybe I am misinterpreting your comment?

I can concede that a piece can take any element, such as harmonic progressions or a rythmic cell rather than melodic lines as its main driving force, aiming to create a mood or an atmosphere for the listener. But I don't see you as doing this either in this piece. Even terming it "thematic material", I think your work would definitely benefit from stating it clearly .

EDIT: Is this piece intended for the April Competition about "meditation"? I'm asking since you showed interest on it - but if this is the case, you should state it somewhere in the Competition's thread...

Did you have a certain form in mind when you composed this?
I feel like it lacks direction. Not only in terms of harmonic staticity (Roberts point D) but also in its formal structure.

Typographically it seems like in ms 18/9 you move to an 2/4 measure key, without defining that. but it looks like both measures are anacrusises.
Now I think of it I think the 2/4 starts at ms 17

Did you have a certain form in mind when you composed this?I feel like it lacks direction. Not only in terms of harmonic staticity (Roberts point D) but also in its formal structure.Typographically it seems like in ms 18/9 you move to an 2/4 measure key, without defining that. but it looks like both measures are anacrusises.Now I think of it I think the 2/4 starts at ms 17

Thanks jrcramer for your insights into the piece.

As regards the time signature, since I can choose to start and end a repeat anywhere within a measure, do I have to change the time signature if the repeated section happens to be half of the original measure?

As regards form, as usual I did not start out with a specific form in mind or try to conform my piece to a predetermined form. In this regard, I am starting a thread about form where we can more broadly share our experiences, knowledge and ideas about form.