String Quartet No. 3
| Year Composed: | 2014 |
| Instrumentation: | 2 violins, viola, cello |
| Duration | 13 minutes |
| I. | Gliding |
| II. | Winds of Change |
Audio Excerpts (MP3)
- I. Gliding
- II. Winds of Change
- Second Wind (feat. Skratch Bastid)
Program Notes
My Third String Quartet represents a broad attempt to weave some of my cherished musical influences into a coherent whole. In an effort to explore the roots of my musical identity, I have tried to find common ground among a diverse array of perspectives. The first movement, "Gliding," follows an arch-like structure in which a lyrical melody, part Far East folk song and part Renaissance chorale, bookends a middle section inspired by the driving rhythms of progressive heavy metal. These disparate elements are united by an ever-shifting ground of odd meters; and with it, a sense of free-flowing spontaneity and abandon.
The second movement, "Winds of Change," is based on an earlier work of mine that I have adapted many times for different ensembles. In this version, the theme -- a buoyant, minor-key dance in 6/8 -- competes with wry quotations from Christian Petzold's famous Minuet in G against the backdrop of an aggressive drone suggestive of world-music-inflected electronica. At times these references collide uneasily, threatening to blow apart the entire discourse; ultimately, however, the movement is a celebration of the joyous urgency which lies beneath the surface of all music-making.
Skratch Bastid's remix, Skratch my Bach, playfully riffs on the Minuet quotation, both in spirit and title (as the tune is often misattributed to Bach.) My response -- Second Wind -- brings the world of the DJ and the quartet into intimate proximity. The tension inherent in the dialogue between both traditions is dramatized by a fiery duel between the first violinist and her sampled counterpart.
Sheet Music
- Score & parts available for rental here.
Performances
- May 23, 2015 - Afiara String Quartet. Mazzoleni Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto
- March 6, 2022 - INNERchamber String Quartet. Revival House, Stratford, ON
- September 3, 2022 - Dior String Quartet. Banff International String Quartet Competition, Banff, AB
- April 22/29, 2023 - St. Paul String Quartet Competition, Junior & Senior Division (Selected Work). St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
CD Release
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Commissions and Awards
- Commissioned by the Afiara String Quartet.
- JUNO nomination for Best Instrumental Album (2016)