String Quartet in C

This is a string quartet, more or less in a Classical style, that I've just finished, after working on it in fits and starts for years.  The intention, in part, was to explore the integration of Baroque contrapuntal writing into the Classical idiom, a la late Beethoven.  Any comments or criticisms would be most appreciated.  Thanks!

Your piece is so honest. I cannot stop listening for the whole piece.

I find it more Mozartian than Beethovanian. Elegant, simplistic, humorous.

Many passages are well developed, organized, and climax well prepared. I can't cite examples since there are many of them.

Many contrapuntal passages are really contrapuntal with every voices moving independently with great sound effect, except I find there are some parallel fifths and octaves. I think parallel octaves are ok, but fifths does not quite fit. I think contrapuntally you are really mature! But sometimes harmonically it can more reasonable. I think there can be less use of second inversion chord except there is contrapuntal need for it.

I think the fugue subject of the first movement quite trivial, and I think tonal answer will be better than real answer because that C sharp resolve straight to C natural is quite strange for me. Bit it fits well to the sonata form scheme, which is hard to do.

Your second movement is so sweet, emotional and sincere. It's definitely something from your heart, not craftmanship. I think I feel what you want to write here. Except I find the modulation from dominant of F sharp minor to F major quite abrupt and unprepared. Maybe there should be a longer transition? Also, I think the G major passage is too lively. I would rather have the whole movement more serene, since both the first and third movements are really energetic.

I really love your third movement. You are so good at the contrapuntal writing, e.g. how to make use of theme by chopping it to smaller motive both as theme and accompaniment. And the counterpoint does not give me a feeling of artifice, rather than strengthen the energy and power. That's how incredible the piece is, as well as you are.

That's a really great piece! Hope my contrapuntal skill can match yours!🤣🤣 (Though I did write some and post here😝😝)

P.S. Just wanna ask, which composing software do you use? The sound is great!!

Edited October 12, 20223 yr by Henry Ng

Thanks for your very perceptive comments! 

The audio is from Finale's playback, using NotePerformer and Waves IR-1 reverb. 

My impression of the 1st movement is that it's surprising that you made a fugue subject out of the progressive diminution of a simple ascending scalar pattern.  I don't think the 2nd theme works really well as a contrasting theme because, now it's just a descending scalar pattern.  I expect that a theme that wasn't a scale would have made a better contrast to your fugue subject.  I understand your desire to use inversion to build all elements of this movement though, for the sake of unity.  Overall though once I got used to the preponderance of scales in this movement, I actually quite enjoyed it!

Thanks!  Yeah, as you gathered, my idea with the first movement was to make the most I could out of the very simple idea of a scale in progressively diminished note values.  You might be right that a different idea would have provided better contrast for the second subject, rather than just trying to do so by varying the texture. 

What a nice score you have here. Im not fond of the playback sound, it dosent do your score justice at all

13 hours ago, hw1234 said:

What a nice score you have here. Im not fond of the playback sound, it dosent do your score justice at all

 

It's the best I was able to do with NotePerformer.  I wish I had a better sound library (or that some humans could ever, some day, play something that I've written, but now we've moved into the realm of pure fantasy).