String Quartet in G minor

The first movement that I've completed in this work is actually the Finale. It is cast in a typical sonata-allegro form, with a slow introduction. I was trying to use the Beethoven/Brahms idea that the essential motif's of the piece should find their way into as many places as possible. Also, in the exposition, both the first theme and closing theme are fugues. I'll be submitting this movement next week as part of my comp portfolio to get into the composition program at Georgia State. I'll also be recording it with a quartet tomorrow night, so I'll post that mp3 once I get it up.

thanks,

Bill

String Quartet in Gm, Finale.mus

String Quartet in Gm, Finale.mid

String Quartet in Gm, Finale.pdf

I can't say I'm particularly fond of the three against two in the beginning, and it seemed blocky. I really liked the faster section, and the slow section following it was better than the beginning, because it had more of a melody.

In general I really liked the fast sections, but I found the slower ones to be lacking (it's just my personal taste). I also really like the harmony in this piece, very interesting but not overly discordant.

Kudos on giving the viola an interesting part! I wish you the best of luck in your application.

The score is very messy, you should clean it up. Especially a lot of the slurs, and the tempo/expression markings overlapping notes and other things like that. That will be more of your issue when submitting to GSU than anything. As far as the music, I mean it's great, I love Beethoven and Schubert, but I always wonder whenever I see student composers who writing in a 200+ year old style. Very early Beethoven influence as far as style. I was expecting more as far as motivic development since one can do very much with very little, but maybe you were going more for the less mature "I'm going to make something exactly like the Emperor Piano Concerto" route, I don't know. Anyway, good job and good luck. Why leaving Florida State?

I love more avante-garde music (I worship Schoenberg, for example,) however, I don't feel that I understand it well enough to begin to write it with any degree of intelligence. I don't think that you can go forward with the music unless you thouroughally understand the past, and yes, very obviously this is in a middle ("heroic") period Beethoven style, albeit with some slightly more adventurous harmony.

Leaving FSU because I can't afford it anymore, so I'm moving back to GA, to get in-state tuition.

Bill

I love more avante-garde music (I worship Schoenberg, for example,) however, I don't feel that I understand it well enough to begin to write it with any degree of intelligence. I don't think that you can go forward with the music unless you thouroughally understand the past, and yes, very obviously this is in a middle ("heroic") period Beethoven style, albeit with some slightly more adventurous harmony.

Leaving FSU because I can't afford it anymore, so I'm moving back to GA, to get in-state tuition.

Bill

Understandable, good luck to you.