← more from
Neuma Records
We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

String Quartet No. 2: Fathers

from String Quartets by Jeremy Beck

/

about

Each of the two movements of my String Quartet No. 2 synthesizes and compresses two of the formal types found in the classical string quartet
repertoire. "Fathers" inserts a type of sonata (Allegro preciso) within the framework of a traditional slow movement while "Sons" fuses certain
structural ideas derived from the notions of Scherzo and Rondo forms. Much of the harmony in both movements is derived from the interaction of
the polyphonic lines, but there are pillars of tonal reference given throughout the composition. The opening gesture in the viola (a rising
major seventh, E-D#) defines the principal tonal pillars and the tonal motion of both movements. For example, in the grand arch of "Fathers,"
the inner fast music gravitates towards E, while the unfolding of the outer sections generates from, and returns to, D#/Eb. With "Sons," the
motivic expansion of the opening figure in the cello (A-G-F) provides the articulation for the initial harmonic points of the first
Scherzo-Trio-Scherzo. The underlying harmonic motion then ultimately travels back to a D#/Eb region, bringing closure to the entire quartet.

The thematic construction of this composition should be considered like that of a guided kaleidoscope: ideas return in different guises and contexts
which are all interrelated, but not necessarily reached through a progressive development. In other words, there are genetic and psychological connections
between the two movements which may or may not reveal themselves under traditional theories of development. The two movements are part of a family and
yet they are also autonomous, working in tandem as well as in opposition.

I began String Quartet No. 2 while I was a masters student at Duke University in 1989; I completed it in New York City the following spring after
I had graduated. The first movement was premiered at Duke on 13 December 1989 by the Ciompi Quartet (Bruce Berg and Claudia Bloom, violins;
Jonathan Bagg, viola; Fred Raimi, violoncello), while the premiere of both movements was given 8 May 1990 by the Music at the Crossroads Quartet
(Nina Crothers and Claudia Bragin, violins; Aldo Schoelzel, viola; Tomás Ulrich, violoncello) at the New School in New York City. Recently,
String Quartet No. 2 was a Finalist in the 2011 New England String Quartet International Composition Competition.

As a postscript to the above: in 1991, while working towards my doctorate at Yale, I had the opportunity to show this composition to Leon Kirchner,
who was visiting at the time. He gave the piece a great deal of attention and shared with me a number of helpful thoughts and observations.
As we parted company at the end of our meeting, Kirchner placed a kind hand on my shoulder and generously urged me to “keep writing.”
This personal affirmation from a master of the form still inspires me today.

credits

from String Quartets, released September 18, 2023
Nevsky String Quartet
Tatiana Razoumova and Svetlana Grinfeld, violins;
Vladimir Bistritsky, viola; Dmitry Khrytchev, violoncello

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Jeremy Beck image

Jeremy Beck Louisville, Kentucky

Jeremy Beck “knows the importance of embracing the past while also going his own way. … [In] Beck’s forceful and expressive sound world … the writing is concise in structure and generous in tonal language, savouring both the dramatic and the poetic.” (Gramophone Magazine). ... more

contact / help

Contact Jeremy Beck

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like Jeremy Beck, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring interviews with LA music scene pillar Kamasi Washington, and new London-based duo Mrcy.

listen now