Quartet No. 1

I posted this work as separate movements elsewhere on the forum as I completed them, but I thought I would consolidate them here.

I worked on this quartet over a period of about 2 months. The second movement was performed after its completion in July at the Pikes Peak Young Composer's Workshop, but I don't have access to the recording.

All comments, especially overall/holistic criticisms appreciated!

Movement I

Finale: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/attachments/13208-quartet-i-final.mus

Score: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/attachments/13207-quartet-one.pdf

MP3: http://www.dosblanc.ca/music/other/dan_gilbert_quartet_1.mp3

(Thanks Qc for creating this MP3!)

Movement II

Finale: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/attachments/12602-quartet.mus

Score: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/attachments/12603-quartet.pdf

MP3: Quartet.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

Movement III

Score: http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/attachments/14604-movement-iii.pdf

MP3: QuartetIII.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

i like it

dark@@

There is some VERY interesting musical material here.

However, the treatment of the instruments leaves a bit to be desired.

As string quartet writing, it's a bit on the dull side.

Let me get back to this later this week, and I'll try and be a bit more detailed.

I'll also give it a fairer listen.

Thanks dark.

Thanks for the listen Qc. Whatever comments you can offer on the string writing will be helpful.

I listened to the first movement. At first, I found the pizzicato section rather annoying, but after a while, it developed its own quirky charm. However, one thing I did not grow an affection for was this little chromatic theme that you repeated throughout the piece. I found it a tad irritating. Maybe I hate large quantities of chromaticism. *shurg* However, there WERE some very interesting and beautiful moments. I can't really point any specifically out because I'm too lazy to look at the score and Box.net doesn't have a time. But I can say that I did enjoy parts of it. Sorry for such an undetailed, unhelpful criticique.

Considering the first movement I felt the pizziccato parts a bit to harsh in contrast to the melodic parts. I felt they didn't do the mood much good. Although, like Nirvana, it started to grow on me. I like the melodic material up to the climax. The antecedent(answer) could have been a bit beter in my view.

I partly enjoyed this. Some parts were good. like the first part of that melody. Other parts weren't my cup of tea.

I really like your approach.

Some of the first really quartet-suitable stuff I've seen around here in a long time.

Are there literally just four individual voices in this? It sounds like an orchestra of string intruments, not a quartet.

Aside from that concern, I do like it.

Well the SoftSynth is representing the instruments as sections of instruments, but it's meant to be a string quartet.

Thanks for taking a look Nirvana.

I really appreciate that, BP3.

here's a string quartet version:

http://www.dosblanc.ca/music/other/dan_gilbert_quartet_1.mp3

(I sped up the tempo a tiny bit.. it felt more "right" that way... but that's just my take on it as a performer)

Nice, Qc. Thanks a bunch. What patch is that?

those are Garritan solo strings: the Stradivari solo violin, the Gofriller cello, and a viola solo from GPO.

hopefully, in a few weeks, when the new version of GPO comes out, we will have access to still better solo strings.

I like this a lot, especially the earlier sections. The ending seems a little abrupt, to me. Also, the section with chromaticism in the bass line, I find, is a little annoying. I like the overall piece, though.

For me I enjoyed the first movement the most. The other movements didn't seem to have the same sense of freshness in apporach and character.

I for one loved the pizz and its harmonic use/melodic use. It grabbed my attention right away as opposed to grabbing my attention only to turn it off :P

Again, I really enjoyed the first movement a whole lot. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the 2nd and 3rd :(

But, you still have a great piece here.

I am a fan of 18th/19th chamber music--Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and Mendelssohn mainly.

I like the general feel of your piece (I listened to the 1st movement). Of course, to my ears many of the transitional shifts are jarring to me. From a vertical standpoint, I am used to a more complete through-composed approach, but realise that 20th century standards give much more latitude.

As someone else commented, the overall impression is one of a competently composed piece of music with stylistic unity. It maintains interest, and, to my mind, that is the point! No doubt you could add or delete passages, thicken or thin texture in a multitude of ways if you sought to make improvements.

I have yet to put together a first piece--probably a string trio or quartet movement--but if I could achieve the unity of purpose and stylistic integrity for my work (solid c. 1800 baby!) that you have, I would be overjoyed!

Thanks for sharing!

As per my style, i give no latitude.

Disclaimer (and I swear to God I'm going to stop writing this pretty soon): By my making critical comments, do not think that I don't appreciate the work you're doing or see your worth as a growing composer. I wouldn't comment on your work if I didn't think you would take the time and work necessary for you to grow. The piece you've written here is an obvious product of work and study, so I'm being critical in a way to CHALLENGE, not to discourage.

1. You have this wonderful Mazurka going with a strong 1 and 3. Why break it at mm. 6? The only reason I'd see for changing meters is to better suit your phrasing, but you seem to write your phrases AROUND your meter, which is self-defeating.

2. mm. 7-11 - why all the repeats? I could see if one part slowly creeps upward (ie: violin) while another creeps down (ie: cello), but this sort of ambivalent, static harmony sort of thing bugs me, since you only seem to use it when you're not sure what else to do.

3. mm 45 - where is your melodic interest? You spent the previous few measures clearly establishing the figure used as background only and then cut out the foreground. I do, like, however, that you use an inversion of your motive between vln 1 and vl2+viola. I really think something different should be going on in the cello, however.

4. mm 48 - this should be a climactic moment after all the swirling 16th notes. Way to let me down, jerk.

5. 56 - You've just made the quartet obsolete. A piano can do a better job playing block chords than a string quartet. Use an accompaniment figure and secondary melodies, not block chords.

As the rest of the first movement is mainly recycled material, I'm not going to re-iterate what I've said. At the risk of missing my classes in the morning, I can't sit and listen to the rest.

Gabby - Thanks for listening!

Majesty - The first movement is my favorite as well. What about the second and third movements totally turned you off?

Cyberstrings - When I wrote this piece, I didn't have in mind a style that I was trying to emulate. A lot of what I was trying to do was avoid cliches. You may be right about the transitions. The problem is I am not in the habit of drafting before I write, so there is a bit of stitching together.

Matt - Thanks for looking so closely. One thing though - does doing one thing with a set of instruments that could be accomplished on another instrument necessarily make it obsolete, especially if it's only a small portion of what occurs in the piece?

Short answer: Yes

Long Answer: No, but only if you can justify its use.

I just made an analogy to the piano because the "block chord" syndrome is common on the forums. I just feel like the block chords used in this instance defeat the forward motion being built previously. Take advantage of all the momentum you've created!

good piece overall :) Pretty minor problems, and I don't want to offend so much. :)

Some of my comments: In movement 1, around 1:25, the rhythm in the pizzicato seems a little out of place.

I really liked the second one, but the third one could have more contrast with the second movement. It might get a little boring, but I still found it really interesting.

I like it as an overall piece, but there is just too much pizzicato for me. In my personal preference, I would stick the pizz. to the cello, and let the violins and viola do more chordal melody stuff. Other than that, it was interesting, but on the dull side for a quartet. I would write a movement such as an Allegro Vivace or Presto to brighten things up.

Thank you so much for posting it.

Hey,

I really enjoyed the 1st movement. It has a nice fresh sound to it. Not too dissonant and not too much like anything else I've heard. Pretty good, I'd say. Although the motif development does need further consideration. More variation is desirable. More contrast...more drama!? Especially because it's the 1st movement. It's a good idea to make your music follow a certain story-telling pattern, this 1st movement does have that to an extent. ;) The 2nd movement starts very nicely. The opening chords make a very good impression - a bit like Arvo Part - but the rest of the music seems to just wander around without any sense of direction. You could try and put a bit more form in there. Not necessarily in terms of ABA, but rather more variation with rhythm and more harmonic activity, but forget about those chromatic notes - they sound like a bit of an unstylish surprise, sounds like an early Classical cliche'. Give it some kind of a purpose. The 3rd movement sounds like a meditation. Very serene throughout. This is actually where I'd say that it maintains one style and sticks to it. It has a good sense of unity of inspiration. This is what makes it good is its continuous meditative quality. I didn't detect any harsh unstylish moments in it. But like with the previous movements, it needs more power, vibrancy. But that's just what I would do with it! ;)

Best of composing energies to you and plenty of fun,

Jan

Gabby - Thanks for listening!

Majesty - The first movement is my favorite as well. What about the second and third movements totally turned you off?

Cyberstrings - When I wrote this piece, I didn't have in mind a style that I was trying to emulate. A lot of what I was trying to do was avoid cliches. You may be right about the transitions. The problem is I am not in the habit of drafting before I write, so there is a bit of stitching together.

Matt - Thanks for looking so closely. One thing though - does doing one thing with a set of instruments that could be accomplished on another instrument necessarily make it obsolete, especially if it's only a small portion of what occurs in the piece?

No, not that I was totally turned off. The first movement had a particular charm and freshness about it that I personally didn't feel from the second and third movements. But that's just my personal view, of course. Its been a while so I'll have to take another listen to the second and third movements again just to make sure ;)

^ I agree with Majesty's post there.

I just listened to all the mp3 versions, and immediately the live recording. People are complaining about there being too much pizz., and I hate to be the one to confuse the hell out of you as far as determining public opinion, but I LOVED the amount of pizzicato you used! My only complaint was that the quartet that played it wasn't very good at playing pizz., they didn't pluck hard enough, simply put - too quiet. Maybe it was just that quartet, maybe you have to bump the dynamic up a figure, I don't know. But I loved the themes in the 1st movement, and I loved how you brought them back in the 3rd.

1st movement was really great in my opinion, I found nothing to complain about at all, but I don't have a critical ear for string writing. The 2nd movement was... eh... pretty. Nothing fantastic. Didn't necessarily hold my attention, but it wasn't a horrible piece of music. 3rd movement I might have liked better, but measures 42 to 102 took me on a bum steer - that just seemed to drag on boringly for ever and ever. I did not like that section at all - nothing interesting happened there, and after the piece finished I thought back and couldn't think what that dull section could possibly have related to. It just really didn't do it for me.

The quartet (musicians) wasn't insanely good, they could have played it with more vigour, especially the third movement. There were some stressed notes they kinda missed all together. And... are you European? Such a quiet ending, if I were you I'd nab a big ole' accent on the last chord, just to stress it. But I'm not you! :P

Thanks dark.

Thanks for the listen Qc. Whatever comments you can offer on the string writing will be helpful.

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/orchestration-part-3-strings-discussion-12271.html

http://www.youngcomposers.com/forum/orchestration-part-3-theory-strings-12269.html

Here's some help Qc has given. I found both quite helpful. A little dull in the 2nd and third, but a nice work. All of my concerns have been addressed by others, so I won't copy them.