String Quartet

So, here is the final (?) version of my very first, serious, String Quartet. 

I'm very excited about this piece -with its newly minted final movement. A bit of detail is in order:

I. Andante con moto: The first movement, in an expanded ABA form, is in Episodic Form. This form, patterned after both the Medieval Estampie and Baroque Fugal Forms, consists of alternating exposition and contrapuntal series. I took care here to focus the material to create a sense of ABA form itself -where as the material itself dictated. The chief material for this movement is the nomenclature for my first name: JASON =DbABbDE. This was arrived at adjusting the note to letter key by removing Fb and Cb -as I didn't feel comfortable having either in the score.... it just didn't seem right, lol. 

II. Moderately: This movement is more through composed in that the material dictated where to go next -with the exception of the end. This movement plays with the theme from the first movement and introduces a, rather stark, GCD motif (I'll let people figure out the meaning of this chord). This chord is not elaborated on or development -just sort of sits in the ethereal of the piece throughout. However, the chord does impact the material that comes after its introduction in a profound way.

III. Largo molto Sostenuto: Resignation to fate. I feel this movement is perhaps the strongest of the three -and the most interesting. While I love dense contrapuntal textures, this movement rests its laurels on a delicate suspension that begins with the GCD chordal motif introduced in the second movement. The JASON motif is imposed within the chordal motif using what I call the Shostakovitch crescendo (see his String Quartet no. 15). In a sense, that work deeply inspired this movement. 

I hope you enjoy! I may rework the second movement to make it less bulky at the ending -maybe fix the transitions? I'm not sure. 

Technicalities aside:

This work is rather personal -obviously since I used my name as the chief material. The hidden programmatic nature of the work is probably easily noticeable to many of us on here. We have all gone through vast struggles in our lives to get to the points we each find ourselves. This work is biographical in that respect. I won't bore you with details. 

Dear @jawoodruff,

First I really enjoy this work! To listen to this complete is definitely more amazing than with the first two movements only.

For the first two movments individually I won't repeat my comments as they're posted here:

Again, would really like to know the origin of the nomenclature!

On 12/24/2022 at 2:14 PM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I remember there's a piano work when I was playing grade 3 piano. The work is a hommage to Haydn and the comoposer use H=B, A=A, Y=D, D=D and N=G. I agree with H, A and D, but don't why Y and N has that respective notes though. Here I also don't get why Db=J, Bb=S (maybe Si?), C#=O and B=N. The motive itself is confusing but the use of motive is fascinating, so I don't really care about its origin!

Henry

 

20 hours ago, jawoodruff said:

I may rework the second movement to make it less bulky at the ending

I don't find it bulky at all!

20 hours ago, jawoodruff said:

This movement plays with the theme from the first movement and introduces a, rather stark, GCD motif (I'll let people figure out the meaning of this chord)

Is it "GOD"?

Let's listen to the third movement! I definitely get that crescendo frok Shos' 15th. I remember his piece is about death. Is it your concern here too ? It's more direct for me than the 2 previous movements. For me it's less polyphonic thus more direct. It does give me a static feeling (like death) as in the last movement of Shos' 15th. I love the chordal sections of the beginning and end. For me it seems you, as motif sinks to the thick chords, submit to fate as you want to depict. Great job here.

I love your middle section as well. But I don't know why, I think adding Webern's pointllistic touch here will be even better since it will provide an even greater contrast.

Overall the 3rd movement provides a really great ending. It's more stable and static than the first 2 movements. The structure is simpler and more focused. It's like a detective fiction: we finally know why that two ptevious movements act like this. The unsettled feeling throughout them is answered here by a more core and fundamemtal angst. For me the piece is not only personal but also philosophical as well.

I always love your piece and this is no execption! Thank you for sharing it here, Jason!

Henry

Your identification of GCD is correct. 

The final movement does harken to a resignation to one's fate -be it death or be it more. I'm debating on expanding the ending -but I don't want to do too much because I purposefully want the entire quartet to leave the listener feeling that there is more to be said. I chose the Shostakovich crescendo for its ethereal qualities. It does feature in the second movement, but not to the same effect as the final movement. 

I agree that one could argue a philosophical take on this quartet. Death, tragedy, love, etc., all pale in comparison to that fact that eventually we all will die. Whether we, as I believe, cleave to God after death (das ist Himmel) is something we can't fully answer with empirical means -thus, it is a matter of faith. This was the message of the third movement. I might still expand the ending to play with the last motivic expansion seen in the viola section (which, by the way, I'm a violist myself). But I'm not going to expand much more. 

Regarding the use of pointilism....

That might be something to use for another piece. I'm not sure that method would work in this work. Personally, I'm not a fan of the technique. I think klangfarbenmelodie (which is similar but not as austere) might be a good option that I'd consider. However, the timbral differences within the strings aren't as direct unless I utilize pizzicato, sul ponticello, or tapping with the wooden part of the bow (I won't go to any extended techniques beyond that -as I'm not a strong proponent of those techniques.)

14 minutes ago, jawoodruff said:

Your identification of GCD is correct. 

Yeah! ✌️ (Like a kid!)

15 minutes ago, jawoodruff said:

The final movement does harken to a resignation to one's fate -be it death or be it more. I'm debating on expanding the ending -but I don't want to do too much because I purposefully want the entire quartet to leave the listener feeling that there is more to be said. I chose the Shostakovich crescendo for its ethereal qualities. It does feature in the second movement, but not to the same effect as the final movement. 

I think the present form is great enough! I myself find Shos' 15th too long, but he did that on purpose to let you feel the boredom and despair itself. I think the length here is perfect, not too long to be borinh, not too short to be shallow and abrupt.

18 minutes ago, jawoodruff said:

agree that one could argue a philosophical take on this quartet. Death, tragedy, love, etc., all pale in comparison to that fact that eventually we all will die. Whether we, as I believe, cleave to God after death (das ist Himmel) is something we can't fully answer with empirical means -thus, it is a matter of faith. This was the message of the third movement. I might still expand the ending to play with the last motivic expansion seen in the viola section (which, by the way, I'm a violist myself). But I'm not going to expand much more

Faith is not empirical at all. Either mystical or transcendental route will be great. My current philosophical view is a Confucian and a Kantian one: Moralistic metaphysics/theology. I see your view reflected on the third movement as well. Rather than unsettled, unclear in the first two movements, the third is clear and that's the overall structure I love. Not meaningless and fortituous combination of movements, but prudently arranged to create meaning through the order of movements. I did that in my clarinet quintet too, so I know how you feel.

23 minutes ago, jawoodruff said:

Regarding the use of pointilism....

That might be something to use for another piece. I'm not sure that method would work in this work. Personally, I'm not a fan of the technique. I think klangfarbenmelodie (which is similar but not as austere) might be a good option that I'd consider. However, the timbral differences within the strings aren't as direct unless I utilize pizzicato, sul ponticello, or tapping with the wooden part of the bow (I won't go to any extended techniques beyond that -as I'm not a strong proponent of those techniques.)

I myself don't like Webern either. However I personally think adding klangfarbenmelodie or pontillistic touch, with pizz. can depict the dance of death and fate well, it will be both effective and contrasting here between heavy chordal sections.

Henry

Well then

So this...um...well, I don't often think of this when reviewing pieces here, but it's a masterpiece. Seriously, this is that good imo. And you wrote this in what, under a month? Dude, you should be very proud of the amount of skill and finesse in your craftsmanship. I'm no composing expert, but I've heard a LOT of amateur works here, and this is spot on brilliance. I only say that because you have such a defined style and voice, and with this piece you employed it tremendously.

I don't even really want to go into fine details on the technicality of things. There was obviously so much thought put into this, and it shows. The amount of effort and musicianship is stunning and really moving. I read through the comments and your post, and am just completely blown away at how you've melded your own unique voice into something so grand. I listened to this several times, first as a two movement incomplete suite, and then in it's final form. Maybe you'll make changes to the 2nd or 3rd movements, but who cares. This is composing at it's finest. 

I really wanted to go more into detail note for note, but found myself forgetting the score and just letting the music take over. It was actually more pleasant for me to listen without following note by note; it's music I'd want to listen to to enjoy. I don't know how much Shostakovich was an influence here (I know you mentioned him for the 3rd movement), but what I heard from you was a continuation and expansion of his style in texture. Sure you have your own musical voice, but the way you orchestrated and presented your music in a storyteller's fashion reminded me of him. It reminded me that the best movies to me aren't the Disney fairy tale endings...that's for kids. This was written to portray something very real and life-like, which I really enjoyed.

If you don't make any amendments to the notes themselves, I'd still be completely satisfied. I know this comment isn't the most helpful as far as growing as a composer, I just don't have anything really to be critical of. Your language is as unique as you, and I not once heard a wrong note out of place or something that got boring. I know I've told you this many times now, but you probably know I don't go out of my way to listen to this dissonant of a style. Yet, I find your music intriguing and something that I gravitate towards. There was a period in my life where Shostakovich was my favorite composer, and I feel like it was for that same type of reason. 

I'm really glad you decided to come back to YC, even if it's for this one piece that you've shared. I've enjoyed everything that you've posted recently, but this takes the cake. I hate that I have nothing critical to share, I always look for at least SOMETHING, but I regret to say that there isn't anything I would change. I even commented in the incomplete works forum of this piece that I thought you should have a drastic change in form for the final movement, and lo and behold you posted a choral movement which I felt like it was leading towards. Dude, you rock.

If there was anything I would wish for you, it would be that you invest in better sound samples. I wish I was rich and could just grace people who I love their music with epic sounds, but, well, I'm just a struggling musician like so many of us here. But seriously, I hope this gets performed and you get a recording. But until then, PLEASE find a way to obtain samples that do your music justice. There are lots of times where the midi file cuts out during crescendos, or the lines don't play at the right dynamic level. I'd love to hear a version of this once you have better samples; it'd make my day/week/YEAR

I know this comment sucks, and it sounds like I'm just playing with your balls (sorry for being crude), but I just want you to know that there's at least one person out there that really enjoys the amount of effort and skill you have in your music. It sounds like something tragic happened that gave you inspiration to write this, and although life isn't all butterflies and flowers, there are some parts of it that need to be expressed in music, and you did an exquisite job at painting that picture. 

Well done, and thanks so much for sharing. Just know I'll be digging deeper into the innerworkings of this quartet to better understand the art we all love and adore. You've inspired me to investigate this style and your language, and hope to amalgamate a bit of it into my own music.

On 12/26/2022 at 12:49 AM, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Well then

So this...um...well, I don't often think of this when reviewing pieces here, but it's a masterpiece. Seriously, this is that good imo. And you wrote this in what, under a month? Dude, you should be very proud of the amount of skill and finesse in your craftsmanship. I'm no composing expert, but I've heard a LOT of amateur works here, and this is spot on brilliance. I only say that because you have such a defined style and voice, and with this piece you employed it tremendously.

I don't even really want to go into fine details on the technicality of things. There was obviously so much thought put into this, and it shows. The amount of effort and musicianship is stunning and really moving. I read through the comments and your post, and am just completely blown away at how you've melded your own unique voice into something so grand. I listened to this several times, first as a two movement incomplete suite, and then in it's final form. Maybe you'll make changes to the 2nd or 3rd movements, but who cares. This is composing at it's finest. 

I really wanted to go more into detail note for note, but found myself forgetting the score and just letting the music take over. It was actually more pleasant for me to listen without following note by note; it's music I'd want to listen to to enjoy. I don't know how much Shostakovich was an influence here (I know you mentioned him for the 3rd movement), but what I heard from you was a continuation and expansion of his style in texture. Sure you have your own musical voice, but the way you orchestrated and presented your music in a storyteller's fashion reminded me of him. It reminded me that the best movies to me aren't the Disney fairy tale endings...that's for kids. This was written to portray something very real and life-like, which I really enjoyed.

If you don't make any amendments to the notes themselves, I'd still be completely satisfied. I know this comment isn't the most helpful as far as growing as a composer, I just don't have anything really to be critical of. Your language is as unique as you, and I not once heard a wrong note out of place or something that got boring. I know I've told you this many times now, but you probably know I don't go out of my way to listen to this dissonant of a style. Yet, I find your music intriguing and something that I gravitate towards. There was a period in my life where Shostakovich was my favorite composer, and I feel like it was for that same type of reason. 

I'm really glad you decided to come back to YC, even if it's for this one piece that you've shared. I've enjoyed everything that you've posted recently, but this takes the cake. I hate that I have nothing critical to share, I always look for at least SOMETHING, but I regret to say that there isn't anything I would change. I even commented in the incomplete works forum of this piece that I thought you should have a drastic change in form for the final movement, and lo and behold you posted a choral movement which I felt like it was leading towards. Dude, you rock.

If there was anything I would wish for you, it would be that you invest in better sound samples. I wish I was rich and could just grace people who I love their music with epic sounds, but, well, I'm just a struggling musician like so many of us here. But seriously, I hope this gets performed and you get a recording. But until then, PLEASE find a way to obtain samples that do your music justice. There are lots of times where the midi file cuts out during crescendos, or the lines don't play at the right dynamic level. I'd love to hear a version of this once you have better samples; it'd make my day/week/YEAR

I know this comment sucks, and it sounds like I'm just playing with your balls (sorry for being crude), but I just want you to know that there's at least one person out there that really enjoys the amount of effort and skill you have in your music. It sounds like something tragic happened that gave you inspiration to write this, and although life isn't all butterflies and flowers, there are some parts of it that need to be expressed in music, and you did an exquisite job at painting that picture. 

Well done, and thanks so much for sharing. Just know I'll be digging deeper into the innerworkings of this quartet to better understand the art we all love and adore. You've inspired me to investigate this style and your language, and hope to amalgamate a bit of it into my own music.

 

Thanks very much for the kind words on my piece. I'm speechless what to say -glad you enjoyed it!!!!!