String Quartet Commentary 1501666

For my String Quartet, it is inspired by Phillip Glasss 2nd string quartet company and Debusseys
string quartet in G Minor. The ideas which I took from these to incorporate into my string quartet
are the use of rhythm as a basis for ideas and motifs from the phillip glasss string quartet and the
use of string writing for melodies.

The opening starts in 6/8 in A minor with a fugal theme starting in the cello and builds up bar by bar
in the viola and the violins. This eventually creates an A minor 7 chord. A new theme in the 1st
violin signals a period of phase shifting where based on this new theme but still keeping the
essence of the previous theme, the violins and viola shifts by one quaver-this is a gradually bar by
bar shift. The cello when this happens just plays this new theme but with no shift to keep a feeling
of A minor. There is also a difference in articulation as while the articulation in the violins focus
downwards, the viola and cello have a focus on an upward and downward motion. This continues
for a while until a sudden jab of an A Minor chord signals the start of a call and response section
between the violins and the viola and cello briefly in e minor. The double stopping on the viola
indicates this. You then have a small interlude in d minor based around pizzicato triplet quavers
which leads onto the first theme.

The first theme is in A minor with the tune on the 1st violin with the viola and 2nd violin playing
arpeggiated triplet quavers which call and respond between them. The cello is playing a simple
bass line. This continues until a gliss leads onto a little pizzicato motif which reappears throughout
the piece. The main theme is bright and bold

The second theme has the tune on the cello with the 2nd viola and violin with the accompanying
harmony in thirds with a quaver and triplet quaver rhythm. The tune is a stark contrast to the first
tune with a much more melodic feel to it.

The third theme has the tune in the viola which is another contrast between the 1st and 2nd
themes. The cello is playing the bass line and the 1st violin has accompanying triplet chords
making up the chords of each bar. You have a brief interlude where the pizzicato motif which
appears in the first before bringing back the theme from the start of this section. This then leads on
to the final section of the quartet.

You then a brief return of the first theme which is unchanged apart from the 2nd violin having the
tune and the 1st violin playing the accompaniment which the 2nd violin had beforehand. This leads
onto a short coda which ends the piece based on the ending of the original first theme which
finishes the piece with the strings all playing a plucked e minor chord.