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String Quartet
2022
Cello
Viola
Violin
- Program Notes
- This piece evokes different experiences of being in and under water, particularly the ocean. There is no strict program, but the music reflects concepts ranging from the wild, unpredictable and sometimes dangerous power of the sea, to its peaceful and therapeutic effect on a warm calm day. On a macro level the intensity of the music ebbs and flows like the tide, while from moment-to-moment it builds and recedes in waves. The brief mid-point tranquillo, with quiet tremolo microtones in the violins, simulates the distorted sounds a swimmer experiences underwater. After a further period of activity and instability, the music slows and takes a detour into chorale-style tonal counterpoint, suggesting a cognitive decision-making process as the music decides where to go next. In the final section, characterised by harmonic stability and a regular rhythmic pulses, a decision has been made and the music purposefully returns toward the shore.
- Performer Credits
- Maria Grigoryeva
- Publisher
- Tom Langdon