Wapwallopen
Jonathan Newman
About this work:
As my first major work for string quartet, I approached the project with a spirit of fear, generated by my respect for the instrumentation’s history and repertoire. I decided to concentrate on the elements of a string quartet that excite me: the ability to sound “as one voice”—like a giant quartet stop on an organ—juxtaposed with the ability to produce different (many more than four, even) colors simultaneously. The quartet also has (mysteriously, more than other instrumentations) an ability to bring rhythmic drive and syncopation to very exciting levels.
The work is structured in 2 movements: the first mostly deals with complicated counter-point within a slow harmonic rhythm, and later with that same music as a steady groove. The second movement is about motoric rhythm and syncopation, mostly in the form of mixed (irregular) meters. Quartets always seem to have so much fun when they play, so the second movement is my way of adding The Composer as a fifth participant in the game.
My title choices tend to derive from Delaware Indian words from Northeastern Pennsylvania, especially when the title is demanded before the piece is written. Wapwallopen, besides sounding quite alliteratively exciting, is also a dirty little town southwest of Wilkes-Barre, PA, across the Susquehanna River from a nuclear power plant.
Year composed: 2000
Duration: 00:10:30
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:String Quartet
Instrumentation: 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello