String Quartet
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SKU: PE.PREPME09S
Composed by John Cousins. This edition: softcover. String Quartets. Study score. Composed 2005. 15 pages. Edition Peters #PREPME09S. Published by Edition Peters (PE.PREPME09S).ISBN 9790674520355.
The composer writes: ‘This work is concerned with the investigation of two qualities inherent in the medium of the string quartet: the sonorous potential of the instruments when they are played ‘as one’ (the homophonic aspect), and the melodic possibilities of each individual instrument (the contrapuntal element). The structure could be likened to a journey across a tornado, each ring of the spiral generating greater and greater contrapuntal energy, interspersed with areas of relative homophonic calm, until the perfectly still centre of the storm is reached; only to be followed by further troughs and peaks as the opposite side of the spiral is crossed. At points of maximum energy each instrument seems to be entirely independent of the others, flying through the musical space with almost suicidal abandon. At other times, all four participants rest within a single repeated sonority. There are also moments of transition, when a more balanced relationship is attained between the instruments.’