String Quartet No. 1 for Two violins, viola and cello (Now with scores!)

Hi folks,

This is the first piece that I post on here, I hope you all enjoy it, I really loved composing it and love hearing it, hopefully you can all get something from it.

Some notes of the first movement: I don't develop the opening cello motif not nearly as much as I should, given its beauty. Furthermore, most of the piece lingers quite a bit without much colorful harmony all the time. Also, the form is a bit stagnant, and even though it's essentially Intro - A B A - transition - coda, it retains, especially around the ending before the coda, a feeling of wandering.

That said, there are some sublime moments and it is very continuous, I feel this movement is one of the most consistent and continuous of all three, which also can be problematic. (I need to break away from being so consistently slow, consistently continuous, etc.)

The second movement is in C octatonic quite thoroughly except for a few excursions into transpositions of the scale. The opening is brutal and intense, a type of "in the middle of things" opening. This high energy is developed with a theme before ending in a tense, conclusive chord. This chord serves as the bridge between the previous section and the following harmonically and melodically rich section which provides a contrast to the rhythmic energy of the opening. A fugue then enters which takes the piece back briefly to a high level of energy, then a scherzo like section for a homophonic entry before entering a polyphonic fugato section which concludes the piece. This ending uses material from the very beginning, specifically the subtle eighth note motion.

The third movement (3/4) is based on the Habanera rhythm, made popular by the composer Bizet in his Opera Carmen (and, with its use by other composers such as Debussy and Ravel, to name only a few, became quite cliche). My reasons for its use stem from the structural motif which underlies every movement of this quartet, which is a dotted quarter followed by an eighth note and then two quarters. This idea actually becomes a bit globalized and can be seen in the way I organize the movements themselves, in terms of time.

I am currently finishing the last movement, and I intend it to contrast the end of the third movement in that it will be begin with a solo line, growing into a duet, turning into trio, and then a quartet, which ends the beginning section and enters into the development. After this ,F# major, (a tritone away from c minor, the first movement) will be hinted at and attempted to be stabilized as the tonal center of the work and the groundwork for the optimistic and triumphant finale.

Some general notes: The tritone is the main interval of importance within the whole quartet, both locally and globally. The emotionally charged natural dissonance of the interval provided me with many opportunities for harmonic and melodic richness.

Note: Box.net link is this one: http://www.box.net/shared/z0xi2vdvqs

RapidShare: Easy Filehosting

String Quartet No. 1 - I. Adagio.pdf

String Quarter No. 1 - II. Scherzo.pdf

String Quartet No. 1 - III. A la Habanera.pdf

it is a good music

can you upload the score ??

is this real life perform ??

is this real life perform ??

Sorry, yes, it is. These are live performers for each movement.

I'll upload a score.

I liked the first movement especially. Per chance who are the performers?

Scores uploaded!!!

You know.. I never noticed the Title: String Quartet no.1 for Two Violins, Viola, and (Violon)cello - um wait... isnt that redundant?

Not really. I mean, a quartet with a violin, a viola, a cello and a double bass would still be a string quartet.

*looks over repertoire* true, but the general meaning of string quartet is 2 vns, vla, and vc - I only find 3 previous quartets that spell it this way. And where the traditional quartet is not used... the composer specifies.

Um.. I said in the title.. two violins, viola and cello... that translates to... two violins viola and violoncello...

cello = violoncello... they are one and the same.

This IS music that catches the interest. And a fantastic first movement!

/ BR Tomas F.

I'm a little disappointed by how few comments this is getting...

(I commented earlier on the shoutbox about the second and third movements.)

Thanks to everyone for their comments. Criticism are appreciated, as I am going to finalize all movements for a march 2nd concert. All four movement will be played. (The fourth hasn't been written, I am currently doing so as I write this.

EX - I cannot download what you posted - my new computer is misreading the wma file. Do you have a mp3?

Would love to comment on the revised version

The first movement:

The cello introduction is beautiful. It really sets the mood. The violins and viola come in when they should. They expand the mood in a very idiomatic way for a string quartet. After a while the this partern of twoquater notes is broken by a playfull new theme. I felt it was a bit out of place, but you anticipate nicely on it. It's really a lovely first movement, althuogh it stays a bit flat. I'm saying this while I keep the masterpieces of the great romantics and classicals in mind. The fact that i'm comparing it to that is a compliment by it's self.

The second movement:

I builds wonderfully on the first movement. That joyfull theme you used is utilized here. It's an playfull movement. You seem to stear away from romanticism into more modern harmonies. The pluckings were a surprice. It was an surprising scherzo. You have an unique style.

The third movement:

It start solemn. It ventures out into the scherzoness of the second movement and the romanticness of the first. But it keeps coming back to that somlemnness.

In all you've created a great piece for string quartet. It was interesting how you used two styles and incorperated them succelfully.

Um.. I said in the title.. two violins, viola and cello... that translates to... two violins viola and violoncello...

I think the point was simply that "string quartet" means [2 violins, a viola and a cello]. So it might be seen as a bit redundant to include the instrumentation in the title.

Musically, I can't say I particularly liked the slow parts, but the faster sections definitely kept my attention.

I liked the beginning of the 2nd movement quite a bit. It kept my interest. The slower parts didn't keep me enthralled.

I loved the ending of the 2nd.

A 4th movement would help to tie this all together.

Well done

Ron

Yeah I realized a while ago this was the forum for finished works, but I am currently composing my fourth movement as we speak. These are some inspirations for the ending:

Shostakovich Quartet No. 8, 2nd movement

Ligeti's Atmospheres (and Lontano, of course)

and my favorites (in order):

(Ravel quartet)

YouTube - Ravel: String Quartet (part 1)

(Bartok Quartet No. 4)

YouTube - Bart