String Quartet (which I forgot I had written)

I was recently digging through some old files on Dropbox and came across a partially completed string quartet I'd written some years ago, and which I had completely forgotten about! This is from a crucial point of my development as a composer, and was more or less my first foray into contrapuntal vs. thematic development — so it's particularly interesting (to me, at least) to hear what I sounded like early in my musical journey! The first three movements were penned together over a decade ago, while the finale was left as barely a fragment. I took it upon myself to flesh out the fourth movement more recently, so it's going to sound decidedly more... advanced I guess lol. Still, I tried to keep it similar in style to the other movements. So here I'm presenting, for the first time ever, my first complete string quartet! (Insert wild applause.)

I've included the score for these, as well, and would appreciate feedback if you notice anything I might have missed concerning notation or playability. Feel free to provide comment/criticism on the overall feeling of the quartet, of course! (Or just pick one or two of the movements to listen to, and maybe let me know which was your favorite.)

As always, I hope you enjoy!

Hello!  Nice quartet.  It's quaint, charming and sounds quite neo-classical in it's approach.  I really like the Allegretto scherzando movement.  It's got more attitude than the other movements imo.  I expected more intensity and drive in the last movement and for it to be more Vivacious (see what I did there?).  Also, there is scarcely any darkness in your harmonies or melodies.  I don't know if that's something that applies to all your music or if it's just this old piece from a younger you.  But there does seem to be more maturity to the gestures in the last movement.  Nice job though, overall.  I'm glad you managed to finish this old quartet - I've also been alternating between finishing old pieces and composing new music.  Maybe some string quartet out there can record it sometime.  Thanks for sharing!

9 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hello!  Nice quartet.  It's quaint, charming and sounds quite neo-classical in it's approach.  I really like the Allegretto scherzando movement.  It's got more attitude than the other movements imo.  I expected more intensity and drive in the last movement and for it to be more Vivacious (see what I did there?).  Also, there is scarcely any darkness in your harmonies or melodies.  I don't know if that's something that applies to all your music or if it's just this old piece from a younger you.  But there does seem to be more maturity to the gestures in the last movement.  Nice job though, overall.  I'm glad you managed to finish this old quartet - I've also been alternating between finishing old pieces and composing new music.  Maybe some string quartet out there can record it sometime.  Thanks for sharing!

Thanks, Peter! Well, I guess the old adage "different strokes, different folks" applies here. While all 4 movements are in the G major modality, each (save the Allegretto) has a corresponding section repeated in a minor mode. (Keep in mind that these were composed before I'd even thought about mucking around with quartals and non-diatonic chords.) Since it was written most recently, the finale does feature quite a sizeable dose of quartal harmonies, and lends to a "darker"-sounding piece than the others. Nevertheless, they each return to a major modality, so I understand where you're coming from with your comment.

I also think it's interesting that you don't find the finale very vivacious. But I guess the interpretation all depends on the listener's preferences!

Thanks for taking the time to listen!

Hi ... My favorite movement also was allegretto scherzrando .... for me it felt very cohesive in its development and it has such a wonderful spirit. I felt similarly to the Largo molto e Vivo.  Although I had a different response to the first movement - in which, I felt the development was a bit less tethered to the very lovely opening thematic material.  The Andante leggiardo had a very Beethoven feel to it.  Over all a very pleasant listening experience.  I am a fan! 😊

Mark

Lucky you remembered because...interesting and most pleasant to listen to. Could be a repertoire piece. As you say the last movement is rather different and bears your more recent hallmark.

As far as craftsmanship goes, the whole work bears your hallmark, the harmony, melodic flow and phrasing, articulation, development - no critique is possible. At first it felt like salon or summer-lawn-at-a-soiree music until the interesting harmonic twists between bars 31 and 38 (first movement) – the kind of progression one might have expected of Beethoven were he to have written an Opus 135++ quartet.

At first I thought that Vn2 should drop to the F# (the 3rd of the chord) at bar 118 but then I spotted that you were preparing a suspension, so fine!

Second movement, lyrical. Nice cello line in bar 51. 

Third movement. At the meno bar 22 and on: I liked the professional touch to the score – only mentioning the triplets once with a 3 then assuming a good quartet player would know what to do with the rest! Also liked the passing of the thematic material first announced in bar 18 between the different voices as the movement progressed.

But the fourth movement shows up the time lapse. In the opening Largo bars I had the impression that you’d managed to replicate the earlier style, imitative of the first movement opening. But from about bar 35 things start to change and progress gets more adventurous by bar 71. The flute-like timbre of 136 works very well. (I might have tried non-vib with those bars but thinking again it would produce a somewhat alien effect.) Bar 207 to the end – most interesting and a reaffirmation of modernity.

Actually, the playing style seems more advanced and adventurous in this movement.

Altogether, super string writing, intermediate difficulty to play and, yes, enjoyable. Professional attention to detail. Thank you for giving a chance to listen. If during these few hot English days I decide to take tea on the lawn, I’ll invite the quartet along!

All the best.

22 hours ago, MJFOBOE said:

Hi ... My favorite movement also was allegretto scherzrando .... for me it felt very cohesive in its development and it has such a wonderful spirit. I felt similarly to the Largo molto e Vivo.  Although I had a different response to the first movement - in which, I felt the development was a bit less tethered to the very lovely opening thematic material.  The Andante leggiardo had a very Beethoven feel to it.  Over all a very pleasant listening experience.  I am a fan! 😊

Mark

Thank you for having a listen, Mark — and especially for your kind comments! The 3rd and 4th movements here are some of my favorite writing, as well. I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

5 hours ago, Quinn said:

Lucky you remembered because...interesting and most pleasant to listen to. Could be a repertoire piece. As you say the last movement is rather different and bears your more recent hallmark.

As far as craftsmanship goes, the whole work bears your hallmark, the harmony, melodic flow and phrasing, articulation, development - no critique is possible. At first it felt like salon or summer-lawn-at-a-soiree music until the interesting harmonic twists between bars 31 and 38 (first movement) – the kind of progression one might have expected of Beethoven were he to have written an Opus 135++ quartet.

At first I thought that Vn2 should drop to the F# (the 3rd of the chord) at bar 118 but then I spotted that you were preparing a suspension, so fine!

Second movement, lyrical. Nice cello line in bar 51. 

Third movement. At the meno bar 22 and on: I liked the professional touch to the score – only mentioning the triplets once with a 3 then assuming a good quartet player would know what to do with the rest! Also liked the passing of the thematic material first announced in bar 18 between the different voices as the movement progressed.

But the fourth movement shows up the time lapse. In the opening Largo bars I had the impression that you’d managed to replicate the earlier style, imitative of the first movement opening. But from about bar 35 things start to change and progress gets more adventurous by bar 71. The flute-like timbre of 136 works very well. (I might have tried non-vib with those bars but thinking again it would produce a somewhat alien effect.) Bar 207 to the end – most interesting and a reaffirmation of modernity.

Actually, the playing style seems more advanced and adventurous in this movement.

Altogether, super string writing, intermediate difficulty to play and, yes, enjoyable. Professional attention to detail. Thank you for giving a chance to listen. If during these few hot English days I decide to take tea on the lawn, I’ll invite the quartet along!

All the best.

I think your response was better constructed than the entire string quartet: I'm very humbled by your remarks! I do feel the 1st movement is less cohesive and more harmonically vague than the other movements. This wasn't intentional, more a result of inexperience, I believe. But the important thing, at least to my development, is that I was experimenting, stretching myself to write in idioms I'd never tried. (Writing for string quartet, etc., is unimaginably difficult I've discovered. It painfully exposes your ability to progress harmonically — no hiding your inadequacies with orchestral color.) Theretofore, I'd never employed conceivably good counterpoint and was attempting to create my own process for doing so. As I recall, I had only recently been studying the works of Bach and realizing — to my great surprise — that there was a method to the madness! This quartet was my first exercise in putting this into practice.

The second movement shows(ed) my great love for the lush lyricism of the Romantic era. Still, the Bachian influences make themselves evident, particularly in the final bars of the middle section.

The third movement I was most proud of for many years, if I remember correctly. Its harmonies were derived almost purely from counterpoint and it had such a lively, rustic sound to it. A bit edgy, too. I knew deep down that my compositional style would be heading in that direction. And then life happened; I didn't compose seriously for many years after I wrote this, and it fell upon the garbage heap that is my memory.

Writing a string quartet has always been on my composer's to-do list. Over the past month I reassumed that mantle and began work on one from "scratch." I was pleasantly surprised to find 3/4 of a completed one nestled away in the Cloud; nothing easier than finishing out the quartet with a finale in my current compositional idiom, doing my best to blend it with the tertian harmonies of younger me. In truth, the result was rather satisfying and I'm looking forward to trying it out in future compositions.

All of that to say your remarks are quite on point. Thank you for your thoughtfully-crafted and exceptionally kind comments. Much appreciated as always, Quinn.

Best,

Jörfi

  Hey-

   Listened to the first movement.

        I enjoyed the craftsmanship.  I got the feel that this would be the product if Grieg and Haydn group-thought a string quartet.  Haydn's thematic handling and Grieg's harmonic language.

            A bit of the aimlessness in parts, but I won't belabor it.  In your own comments you mention this--and it's a first effort in a MURDEROUS genre.

   Very well done. Congrats and Kuddos for your persistence, which is key.

On 9/5/2022 at 10:22 AM, Rich said:

  Hey-

   Listened to the first movement.

        I enjoyed the craftsmanship.  I got the feel that this would be the product if Grieg and Haydn group-thought a string quartet.  Haydn's thematic handling and Grieg's harmonic language.

            A bit of the aimlessness in parts, but I won't belabor it.  In your own comments you mention this--and it's a first effort in a MURDEROUS genre.

 

   Very well done. Congrats and Kuddos for your persistence, which is key.

Thanks, Rich. That seems like an accurate description! (At the time of its writing, I was a HUGE fan of Grieg... not so much Haydn, but I definitely see the similarities.)

Appreciate your taking the time to listen and comment.

Cheers,

Jörfi