Leaderboard

basically. my recommended listening order: some haydn early quartets if desired a quartet or two from haydn's op. 20 haydn op. 33 (complete) mozart's six quartets dedicated to haydn beethoven's op. 59 (complete) any one string quartet from the romantic era bartók's 4th beethoven's op. 131, 132, 133 carter's 1st, 2nd and 3rd cage's string quartet in four parts ligeti's 2nd lachenmann's three quartets radulescu's 5th (with score) cassidy's 2nd (with score) then go out and write something that sounds nothing like the 245980269920 arditti quartet premieres. peace.

More than a week later...

not a string player but i was demonstrated the technique with the cellist picking an inharmonic node to press lightly, so that no pitched sound would emerge. (actually the first time the cellist did it wrong and produced a very pretty 11th partial harmonic by accident :P) you could therefore start with a normally fingered note and gradually attenuate lh & bow pressure until it becomes noise, but i don't think you could do it from a harmonic without a noticeable break in between the two sounds increasing bow pressure while making "air noise" yields the scratch tone so beloved of Lachenmann, so you can also transition seamlessly between those two.

As I have checked these works, I think Austenite's Serenade should be selected, unless it's too difficult for the orchestra. ;) Some of the works should not have been sent, they are not yet even on basic level of quality, though.