Saturday, May 18, 2019

String Quartet

I have been asked to write a string quartet for the Pro Nova Ensemble for next season and I've been thinking a lot about the genre. I have been very fond of this combination ever since I bought a box of the Beethoven late quartets by the Guarneri Quartet in the early 70s. I once spent an entire summer listening to the Haydn quartets. Back then you could buy Vox Boxes of the different opus numbers on vinyl. At some point I picked up the Juilliard Quartet playing Bartók. Not that many years ago I discovered the Shostakovich quartets and have listened to the complete box of CDs by the Emerson Quartet many times.

Now I find I want to take a close look at two recent contributions to the genre: those by Philip Glass and Elliot Carter. I have never gotten into Carter (I find his pieces for guitar particularly uncongenial) but I feel I have to investigate his quartets. Right now I am listening to the first and I am finding it surprisingly interesting, especially in the contrapuntal aspects. For some odd reason, I find composers I don't particularly enjoy personally to be inspiring and thought-provoking. I am not a big fan of Karlheinz Stockhausen, but I find his ideas really interesting. The same for John Cage. But while one movement of the quartet I am planning is going to be in moment form, an idea from Stockhausen, there is not likely to be any Cageian influence!

Here is the String Quartet No. 1 by Carter:


That was written the year I was born.

5 comments:

Marc in Eugene said...

Wonderful! I don't like flying but I think this will be the occasion for a visit to Vancouver. :-)

Wenatchee the Hatchet said...

The Shostakovich cycle is great, probably my favorite cycle from the 20th century. The Villa-Lobos quartet cycle has a good chunk of zippy tunes to it ... maybe TOO zippy. :) Have you heard works from that cycle?

I couldn't get through the Carter cycle. I've had more fun with the Weinberg string quartet cycle but the most compelling cycle of string quartets I've been listening to in the last four years is the Ben Johnston cycle that was recorded by the Kepler quartet. The Alois Haba cycle is another microtonal string quartet cycle that is almost as fun.

Leo Brouwer and George Walker didn't exactly write "cycles" for string quartet but they both composed small sets of quartets that I've found worth checking out.

Tippett and Britten did some good work in the medium, too. I've heard about the David Matthews string quartets by way of some writing by Roger Scruton but I haven't heard those yet and if you've heard them I'd be interested in reading your thoughts on Matthews as a composer.

For me I don't see how any cycle of string quartets could ultimately be more important than Haydn's, even Beethoven's (and I love Beethoven's cycle). It's not just a matter of historical significance, Haydn just wrote the cycle of quartets that has the best tunes!

If you find composers you don't particularly enjoy inspiring ... maybe check out the Hindemith string quartet cycle. :) I'm personally very fond of his Op. 22 and Op. 32 string quartets. His cycle tends to get overlooked but for me it's worth studying even if it's not at the same level as the spectacular Bartok string quartet cycle. For 20th c music Shostakovich, Bartok and Johnston are my favorites.

Best wishes composing for string quartet.

Bryan Townsend said...

Marc, I can't promise a t-shirt, but I would be delighted if you made it to Vancouver for the premiere and I can promise a couple of CDs at least!

Yes, Shostakovich is my favorite 20th century quartet cycle as well. I haven't listened to Weinberg, but I probably should. And yes, Johnston and Haba as well (though I have heard bits of their quartets previously). Haydn for me is the central quartet composer, with Beethoven a very close second.

Will Wilkin said...

Yes the Carter quartets ARE pretty cool, even if requiring certain moods to be listenable at all. Brian, great you study quartets by others but in the end I know if you trust yourself and follow your feelings you will compose awesome quartets....I base this on my love of your music for violin and guitar, very original despite your many influences.

Bryan Townsend said...

You hit the nail on the head, Will. I am interested in all manner of quartets, but I am pretty clear on what I want to do in the one I am working on and it really has little to do with any of the ones I have listened to. It has more to do with the landscape of British Columbia as I discovered it as a young man.