String Quartet Moment #4 - The Collapse of Formalities

[Jon Brantingham]

I wanted to try and explore classical form with more modern ideas about harmony and rhythm. I hope you enjoy. String Quartet Moment #4 by Jon Brantingham

[Fredrick zinos]

What about this do you consider "modern"?

[Ondib Olmnilnlolm]

I did enjoy what I thought was a quasi-Schubertian, quasi-Beethovenian, Bernard Hermanesque romp through the classical quartet soundscape.

Nice exposition beginning at 0:11.

Good shifts in tempo and harmonic content around 0:50 - 1:10.

A very nice modulation at about 1:14 (that is what reminded me of Bernard Herman, a bit-- I was thinking of his excellent film score from "Fahrenheit 451." )

Good ritardando, just prior to 1:29, and and nice development prior to recapitulation of the theme at about that point.

I wondered about the use of pizzicato at about :58.  Have you experimented with throwing that motif from the violin to  the cello, and possibly switching it to much lower registers?   Would you consider shifting the motif further away from the tonal center, when it occurs the second time? (Would shifting it away, lower,  as far as a ninth sound more interesting?)

I like the classical feel of the whole piece.  

It definitely merits expansion into a larger work.

May I ask what software you are using to reproduce the sound?

My work tends to be a bit more experimental.

I want to learn more about the reproduction of the sounds of string instruments.

Can you reproduce string sounds like this, with your software?

(See link to excerpt below)

This is just a short excerpt from something I am working on now, where three double basses are playing simultaneously, in a section which has the characteristics of a brief cadenza.  

The harmonics here are partly East Indian (Hindustani): the melody is Indian, but there is polytonality here as well, which is alien to classical Indian tradition.

I use double bass here, partly because the sound is more authentic in the lower registers.

(It sounds more authentic than violin simulation, in Logic, using "sound sculpture.)

Do you feel that your work makes the fullest use of what is available (conceptually, or practically) in both the higher and lower registers?

[When you listen to the excerpt below, you can ignore the flute you hear at the beginning and the end.  The flute sounds belong to different passages on either side of this cadenza, in the larger work]

 Double Bass Indian Rhapsody for Wood, Glass, Steel.mp3, 1.3 MB 

[Jon Brantingham]

Really, it was just "more modern" in respect to traditional classical style. I am not really going for "contemporary" in terms of developments beyond the early 20th century with this one.

Fredrick zinos said:

What about this do you consider "modern"?

[Jon Brantingham]

Ondib, I enjoyed the excerpt from your work. I would eventually like to get into more experimental work, especially with different sound timbres. But I feel like I want it to develop naturally in the path that I am going. I am not quite there yet.

I definitely have a long road to travel in terms of utilizing the full spectrum of the the registers, or for that matter, the entire spectrum of timbre and register for each instrument.

I guess what I am attempting to do with these string quartet moments is give myself a vehicle for utilizing different things. I find that once you get into a certain groove, it is hard to break it. But if you start off a whole new piece, it is much easier, mentally to get into different registers, timbres, textures, etc.

This is the main reason I have not developed them into longer pieces, although I might, in the future. Its kind of like testing the waters.

As far as the program I am using, it is the old, garden variety of Sibelius Sounds. The solo violin, viola, and cello. There are some things that I can't stand about them, particularly trying to get a soft smooth sound from the upper registers of the violin. But there are some good points.

I also own EWQLSO, but am not too proficient with it yet, so none of my examples have been with that library. It is quite easy to see the limiting factor of how sound libraries sound, and how you end up developing what you are writing.

For instance, the sound of a trill is not very convincing under midi, but the EWQLSO has pre-recorded trills that sound very nice. This has effectively left me leaving out trills for the most part. This is not an excuse, as I know I should be writing for people, but I guess thats just the way it is sometimes, when you can instantly hear what you have written. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it gets in the way.

Once again, thanks for the valuable insights.

Ondib Olmnilnlolm said:

I did enjoy what I thought was a quasi-Schubertian, quasi-Beethovenian, Bernard Hermanesque romp through the classical quartet soundscape.

Nice exposition beginning at 0:11.

Good shifts in tempo and harmonic content around 0:50 - 1:10.

A very nice modulation at about 1:14 (that is what reminded me of Bernard Herman, a bit-- I was thinking of his excellent film score from "Fahrenheit 451." )

Good ritardando, just prior to 1:29, and and nice development prior to recapitulation of the theme at about that point.

I wondered about the use of pizzicato at about :58.  Have you experimented with throwing that motif from the violin to  the cello, and possibly switching it to much lower registers?   Would you consider shifting the motif further away from the tonal center, when it occurs the second time? (Would shifting it away, lower,  as far as a ninth sound more interesting?)

I like the classical feel of the whole piece.  

It definitely merits expansion into a larger work.

May I ask what software you are using to reproduce the sound?

My work tends to be a bit more experimental.

I want to learn more about the reproduction of the sounds of string instruments.

Can you reproduce string sounds like this, with your software?

(See link to excerpt below)

This is just a short excerpt from something I am working on now, where three double basses are playing simultaneously, in a section which has the characteristics of a brief cadenza.  

The harmonics here are partly East Indian (Hindustani): the melody is Indian, but there is polytonality here as well, which is alien to classical Indian tradition.

I use double bass here, partly because the sound is more authentic in the lower registers.

(It sounds more authentic than violin simulation, in Logic, using "sound sculpture.)

Do you feel that your work makes the fullest use of what is available (conceptually, or practically) in both the higher and lower registers?

[When you listen to the excerpt below, you can ignore the flute you hear at the beginning and the end.  The flute sounds belong to different passages on either side of this cadenza, in the larger work]

 Double Bass Indian Rhapsody for Wood, Glass, Steel.mp3, 1.3 MB 

[B Gray]

It is quite a challenge to have a strong enough inner ear to avoid the dominance of the sound technology (eg your trills left out because the synth sound is not sufficient).  You can always notate a trill if that is what your mind says should be there. . .even if its not reproduced by the play back equipment.  In every era, the tools at the musician's disposal have set the boundaries.  But with digital boundaries constantly shifting we need to be sure we are leading, not being lead by, the technical side.

[Jon Brantingham]

Very true.