String Quartet No. 1 (il quartetto di cielo blu)
Matthew Baier
About this work:
First performance at the Festival of the Arts in South Nyack by the Delaphonic String Quartet.
Recorded by Athanata Arts LTD. N.Y.C. 2002
Produced by Peter Arcese and Matthew Baier
Recorded and edited by Andrew Cardenas at S.U.N.Y. at Purchase
with The Delaphonic String Quartet
String Quartet No. 1 - (il quartetto di cielo blu)
The melodic material in this work has been derived from applying compositional techniques to the analysis of a dream I had. I have translated several of the dreams images into brief motifs by means of their literal spellings correspondence to the notes of an original scale and their affective impressions. The original scale and the resulting harmony are similarly an extension of one the dreams main symbols, a “blue sky”. Thus its name, “the blue sky quartet “.
The overall construction of this piece is in the sonata form although on an internal level it is more like a cyclic form in which the same or very similar thematic material is used in two or more of the movements. I have tried to display all of the themes across the four movements in the order in which they appear in the dream and in their relation to one another. They often flow one into another without interruption. At other times they are separated by variations, or they are literally juxtaposed atop of one another. In the resulting patterning and textures there is a musical sense of the surreal drama taking place.
Version: 2001
Year composed: 2001
Duration: 00:16:31
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:String Quartet
Instrumentation: