Knots and lines

A while ago I was looking at pictures of old Celtic and Russian Gospel books. Lines flowed over the pages. At certain parts they came together in knots and in other parts they were more free. I was thinking if this could become music in a way and started an experiment. Set in the B frygian mode, in this little piece for string quartet I make an interplay between those two categories. There are 21 bars, one of the fibonacci numbers and things flow from one golden ratio to the other. Rhythmically I use in a very simplified way rhythms from India which I found in Messiaen. There is no real harmony in the sense there are just several horizontal lines flowing, like distinct layers, in the manner of the old Russian polyphony before Western harmony entered Russian Church music. Hopefully, you still perceive it as music :-D.  There are many ways in which 'knots and lines' can be expressed in music. I might experiment some more in the future in different ways... For me it was very joyous to experiment with this concept 🙂

This is a beautiful score (for me). I think you used the mode in all the voices, in a free way, creating clashes and consonances in a lyrical way. 

I think the expression slurs are no the best way to notate the legato (in the strings).

The last chord sounds to me like a pre-conclusive chord.  It sounds as though the tension has been brought to a head and after a brief pause should be resolved to a "tonic" on the next chord.  That's how I hear it.

The idea for the piece is pretty neat.  There are however some loose threads (so to speak) imo.  The 1st Violin has a high B eighth note in measure 6 that sounds interrupted and like it suddenly skips to that D more than an octave below.  It's quite a discontinuity and sounds like the melodic line is suddenly cut off there.  There are other places I think where such things happen although not as obviously as in this case.

Cool idea though!  Thanks for sharing.

On 3/21/2022 at 8:21 PM, Luis Hernández said:

This is a beautiful score (for me). I think you used the mode in all the voices, in a free way, creating clashes and consonances in a lyrical way. 

I think the expression slurs are no the best way to notate the legato (in the strings).

 

Thank you, maybe I should just notate 'legato' but those lines indicate small melodies... Thank you for your compliment.

On 3/23/2022 at 3:18 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

The last chord sounds to me like a pre-conclusive chord.  It sounds as though the tension has been brought to a head and after a brief pause should be resolved to a "tonic" on the next chord.  That's how I hear it.

The idea for the piece is pretty neat.  There are however some loose threads (so to speak) imo.  The 1st Violin has a high B eighth note in measure 6 that sounds interrupted and like it suddenly skips to that D more than an octave below.  It's quite a discontinuity and sounds like the melodic line is suddenly cut off there.  There are other places I think where such things happen although not as obviously as in this case.

Cool idea though!  Thanks for sharing.

 

Thank you for your attentive listening and comment. I understand you expect afterwards something. I was also thinking to extend it, for instance more movements. I can hear something pizzicato afterwards too with the same idea. I guess it needs more indeed, one expect energy to transmit in something else... It just has begun...
I agree sometimes the line breaks but I actually like that. I think it makes for a pleasant surprise, but that might not be for everybody. Maybe if I compose more it can become its own thing, its own logic.