Violine I (String Quartet #5)

A string quartet can evoke in a composer the very best that he or she has to offer both as a musician and as a composer. It’s been said that the eyes are windows to a person’s soul. I feel that the sum of what is expressed in a string quartet can also be a window into the soul of the composer. A window of opportunity that is hopefully providing a composer a means to an evocative self-informed artistic expression. Writing a string quartet can be more daunting than writing a symphony. It is arduous and challenging to pack so much into such a little punch. But the challenge is well worth it. 

String quartets are a perfect venue for a unique and particular kind of personal intimacy expressed through music. A string quartet is like a guide, a distinct bias into yet another facet of a composer’s capability, strengths and personality. The art and poetry expressed in a string quartet can be something quite astonishing and exquisite. At the least a string quartet can be an exercise in craftsmanship. At the best it can be a journey to the most wonderful place on earth. The exquisite timeless soul of a human being.

Now I don’t fancy much creating music which is nondescript or so thought provoking that it requires a user’s manual to decipher its scope or profundity. This statement I make because I like to wear all my aesthetic persuasion on my shoulder. My shoulders support my head. I like to think that I write my music from the domain of my shoulders. Also, my shoulders are a quick hop skip and a jump to my heart and my soul. I once asked a fellow composer of mine where he thinks masterpieces come from and he told me from one’s heart.