Concert Review

On Saturday, Nov 14, I attended a concert by the St. Lawrence String Quartet.

Program

Haydn (1732-1809)
- String Quartet in D, op. 20 No. 4 (Hob.III:34)
Allegro di molto
Un Poco adagio e affettuoso
Menuetto: Allegro alla Zingarese
Finale: Presto e scherzando

Derek Charke (b. 1974)
-Sepia Fragments

Dvorak (1841-1904)
-Quartet in G, Op. 106
Allegro moderato
Adagio ma non troppo
Molto vivace
Finale: Andante sostenuto - Allegro con fuoco

This was honestly one of the best concerts I have ever attended. It was evident from the first note of the Haydn quartet that the ensemble was full of energy. The music was brought to life with virtuosic ease that never stepped over the boundary of the composition. As far as chamber music goes, this was some of the tightest ensemble playing that I have ever witnessed.

The real highlight of the program was the second composition. Sepia Fragments. This is a newly commissioned work by Derek Charke. He describes the work as "a musical journey from the present to the past". The piece was organized into four distinct sections. Starting with an original fiddle tune, the piece slowly evolves through the quotation of other works. Derek pays tribute to the quartets past by quoting pieces that they have recorded and preformed in the past. - After the introduction, the first quotation is from Schumann's String Quartet No. 3 in A. We then get a quote from the third movement of Shostakovich's eighth String Quartet. This is followed by a waltz like texture that hints at the first movement of Tchaikovsky's String Quartet in D. The texture is slowly built up until it finally fades. The piece is brought to conclusion with a slow ambient ending that hints at "remembrances from the near and distant past".

After the intermission, the Dvorak was played with great energy. This was a great way to end the program as it contrasted the opening Haydn quartet very nicely.

2nd Presentation

Yesterday I presented my finished composition in class. It went well. Some general comments I recieved

- Perhaps introduce Guitar in the "intro". It seems to come out of nowhere in measure no. 10
- In measure 37, the texture is thinned out considerably. I then re introduce a thicker texture right at the end of the piece. I can see how this would seem redundant, but am going ot wait ot actually hear it in rehersal before changing it.
- The last chord does not seem like the final point of the piece. Perhaps tweak this to make it sound more final.

Considerations

I have finished my piece. Any changes made from now until the concert will only be small. I am quite happy with the outcome. Originally this piece was written for marimba but I decided it sounded better on vibraphone.

I ended up writing three different pages of ideas that I based the final product on.

I first wrote a 4 and a half measure arpeggio line for guitar that repeats several time throughout the piece. This ended up serving as the central accompaniment for the voice. The vibe part was added after. This section is contrasted with a slower 9/8 section that is constant until the very last few measures.

Since I am a guitarist preforming mostly solo works, I found it quite challenging to write a part that fit into an accompanying texture while leaving enough space for the other parts. The voice had to stand out above everything else so making the guitar take a back seat was something I defiantly struggled with during this project.

Second Piece

For my second composition I chose to set a text. The instrumentation will be

- Soprano
- Guitar
- Marimba

The text I will be using is a Shakespeare sonnet. #100

Where art thou, Muse, that thou forgett'st so long
To speak of that which gives thee all thy might?
Spend'st thou thy fury on some worthless song,
Dark'ning thy power to lend base subjects light?
Return, forgetful Muse, and straight redeem
In gentle, numbers time so idly spent;
Sing to the ear that doth lays esteem,
And gives thy pen both skill and argument.
Ride, resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey,
If Time have any wrinkle graven there;
If any, be a satire to decay,
And make Time's spoils despised everywhere.
Give my love fame faster then Time wastes life;
So thou prevent'st his scythe and crooked knife.