duration c. 00:05:00
2015 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Finalist
Program Note:
I began this movement for string quartet mid-June 2013 and finished it mid-July in Paris, where I was taking part in the European American Musical Alliance program (EAMA). Run by Dr. Philip Lasser of the Juilliard School, the EAMA program is a continuation of French pedagogue Nadia Boulanger’s legacy; among other things, we studied counterpoint, score reading, and keyboard harmony, along with a heavy dose of analysis of Bach. Written under the guidance of Dr. David Conte, this movement for string quartet is heavily influenced by the contrapuntal focus of the EAMA program. Nearly all melodic material is derived from a single motive, which reappears throughout the piece in numerous guises (inversion, augmentation, diminution, imitation, etc.). The varied harmonic palette also presents each appearance of the motive in a new light throughout the course of the piece. Ending as it began, the work fulfills Dr. Lasser’s notion that all music is circular [see his treatise The Spiraling Tapestry: An inquiry into the contrapuntal fabric of music.]. Premiered in Salle Franck at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France.
Performance History:
| Date | Time | Location | Event | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.3.13 | 8:15pm | Urness Recital Hall, St. Olaf College | Fresh Ink | Seiji Cataldo, vn; Karen Van Acker, vn; Josh Wareham, va; Omar Macias, vc |
| 7.26.13 | 7:30pm | Salle Franck, La Schola Cantorum, Paris | EAMA final concert | EAMA resident string quartet |
| 7.24.13 | 2:00pm | Salle Franck, La Schola Cantorum, Paris | European American Musical Alliance reading session | EAMA resident string quartet |