Singe: Song For String Quartet
Robinson McClellan
About this work:
The opening bars of this work first came to me while I was walking home one night in October 2001. It is an intense piece, angry in places.
The title carries a double meaning: "singe" in English reflects the piece's origin: the word perfectly describes how I was feeling during that time. The German meaning, "I sing", reflects my conception of the piece as a song in the simplest sense. It is organized in a verse-chorus structure, with the instruments in turn playing the melody during the verses, accompanied by the others. Each soloist takes up the melody where the last left off, then carries it a bit further, until the music builds to a climax in which all four join together.
This piece was recorded on October 31, 2003 by:
Monica Davis, Violin 1
Emily Brasner, Violin 2
Yaniv Segal, Viola
Laura Usiskin, Violoncello
The files posted here are:
1. Sample score (pp. 1-4, 10)
2. Title page and performance notes
3. Recording (excerpt: Rehearsal H to the end)
For a full perusal copy or to purchase a score, please visit my website.
This piece requires the use of metronomes during performance. Please see the performance notes (posted here as a PDF file) for more details.
Year composed: 2002
Duration: 00:07:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:String Quartet
Instrumentation: 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello
Instrumentation notes: In several sections of this piece, instruments play in different tempi simultaneously. The players must frequently rely on metronomes blinking silently on their stands. See performance notes in score for details.