III. The Household

Lauren Lofton

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String Quartet

2024

4 min.

Cello

Viola

Violin

Program Notes: Three Miniatures for String Quartet by Lauren Lofton is a set of works meant to act as afterthoughts to each movement of Lofton's Symphony No. 3. Each movement involves a different programmatic theme involving an individuals life. Movement 3, The Household, focuses on one day inside the life of a family. The movement, in rondo form, opens with an introduction eluding to the chaos that is about to ensue. The main theme sneaks in like a child secretly grabbing candy, and quickly grows to a loud burst of joy, but oh no! Someone is onto them. It seems the children are just innocently playing with toys for the "B" theme, and it seems that "someone" is no longer suspicious of the children...so they scurry off again to cause more trouble. Here comes our trusty main theme. Everything seems calm again until...BUSTED! The parent is angry and now lecturing the kids. They are down and defeated, but nothing can stop youth energy for long. They quickly build themselves back up and are once again on their merry ways and playing games. The movement ends with the the children's energy building up even more until finally, a loud outburst of Ring Around the Rosie, the mother's nurture theme, the children's toddling theme, and our quirky main theme makes its appearance, providing an energetic, bombastic, and satisfying ending.
Ensemble Name: NotePerformer 4