String Quartet No. 1

My first completed 4-movement string quartet.

String Quartet No. 1

I. Allegro. I loved the way the movement swells with motion before releasing the energy in the organ-like passage where scalar movements of one instrument provide great oblique motion against the pedal-like tones held by the other instruments. This passage seems to be a focal point of the movement, and its repetitions served as good reference points while listening to the piece. At first, the quite different materials of the second section felt slightly sudden, but they work great as a contrast to the main theme. Perhaps the movement feels only a little unbalanced because this section with the new material is relatively short, and the piece ends quickly afterwards; I think the repetition of the first section could be reduced, or perhaps the second section could be expanded to include a larger transition/synthesis with the opening materials into the coda. I think the quarter notes in the viola during the important cadences (marking section breaks) should be reinforced with a second line in another instrument moving to the same rhythm--as is, the short, single notes seem overwhelmed by the powerfully held notes in the other instruments.

II. Moderato. The most memorable parts for me were the lyrical lines that did not outline the harmony--I think this movement might benefit from less arpeggiation and more horizontal movement, especially in sections where all the voices are moving. I loved the octave leap in the first violin melody. The passage of fast-moving 16ths feel as though they would be a good lead-in to a faster-moving section. Perhaps some of the repetition of slower-sections could be replaced by a variation involving faster-moving rhythms--it might serve as a good contrast. There is a section toward the end that opens with a passage slightly reminscent of Pachelbel's Canon; I found the transition a bit jarring because the highly recognizable chord progression does not seem to occur anywhere else in the music.

III. Trio. The fast pace of the music was quite refreshing yet similar enough to the Allegro that I felt well-grounded in the piece. I liked this movement's shape the best--all the sections felt well-balanced and flowed smoothly to and from one another. Did you consider the use of double-stops for the second violin in the section where it plays quarter notes on the downbeat of each measure? Double-stops may lend more body to the part and make the pulse (an important part of this movement) feel stronger where the other instruments are holding notes tied over several measures. I really enjoyed the chordal section near the end: while being new, the material had also been introduced in small pieces in the earlier sections, and the movement culminated quite nicely at this point. The portamenti/glissandi were very memorable. The final chords felt thin for the amount of momentum the movement had built up to that point--perhaps it could be fleshed out more by letting the triad sound out in its entirety, employing slightly more separation between each attack (letting the chord ring out for longer), and/or using double- or triple-stops.

IV. Presto. Somehow this movement felt a bit disconnected from the other three, I think because the harmonic material was quite different as well as for the melody-and-accompaniment style of music that dominated much of the movement. While the movement is quite lovely on its own as a piece in itself, I think it might serve better as the finale of the quartet if the movement referenced some of the materials explored earlier in the quartet. I could hear brief moments of it in the chordal sections or the scalar 16ths, but I think the references could be more explicit.

Awesome work!! I think writing multi-movement works is one of the most challenging tasks in composition, and I really enjoyed listening to this impressive piece.

smallercomma,

Thank you for taking the time to listen and comment. I have neglected responding to your comments and I apologize. You make a lot of good points. I do think that some of the changes could be made. I posted this quartet in an earlier form and got some good recommendations that I decided to take up.

I know there are more developments that I did not choose to explore for now...(the possibility of a fugue at the end of the first movement, the expansion of the slow section in the first movement, etc) I'm just getting started and i hope to someday write the quartets i can be satisfied with.....for now I have turned my work to a symphony. I only have so much time bc of the day job.) I'm trying to create a living doing this work but someone or some organization has to believe in my competence.....? Any ideas how one could make a living?

Soon I will learn how this piece will sound with human interpretations and hopefully I'll have a recording to post.

I thank you again and wish you well!

Mike

Very nice effort. I enjoyed the first movement especially. As a whole, though, the movements all sound very similar in mood without much contrast from one another, though that also could be due to the midi.

I took the liberty of converting your piece to MP3. You can download them here:

Intro and allegro: http://www.box.net/shared/uiz35ktcce

Moderato: http://www.box.net/shared/orv2g9y0nm

Trio: http://www.box.net/shared/89yuk2xrlc

Presto: http://www.box.net/shared/9txj0haqe9