Ravelian Rhapsody

Ravelian Rhapsody revolves around a single sixteen-measure motif that gets repeated in various ways, with differing timbres and techniques throughout the piece. This motif was inspired by a theme in the final movement of Maurice Ravel's

Sonata for Violin and Cello, hence the name of the piece; it has a similar introductionof repeated notes, and is also in the pentatonic scale.

The piece is broken up into four distinct sections joined together by reoccurring transitional material: in the first section, the entire quartet introduces the piece's main motif in octaves before each player gets a chance to play it separately, accompanied by disjointed rhythms. The second section continues in the same vein, except plucked rather than bowed. The third section is the most lyrical of the four, with the motif's speed halved and played with great expression, while accompanied by triplet arpeggios. The final section begins with a brief buildup before it reprises the energy and rhythm of the first section. The piece finally ends with the transitional material making its last appearance, starting quietly but growing louder and louder as it chases to the end.

MIDI Recording