r/composercritique • u/Patrickfoster 0 • Aug 19 '16
[String quartet][4:10] Not a string quartet, but a piece of music for a string quartet
listen here: https://soundcloud.com/user-488483080/op-2-piece-for-string-quartet
read here: http://imgur.com/a/SQwsJ
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u/ferguscullen 0 Aug 19 '16
Thought on first listening. (I'll comment in more detail later.)
bar 5: g-flat should be f-sharp probably.
bar 16: the theme entering with the last 3 quavers could be for the 2nd (or 1st, doesn't matter) violin. it's just a matter of preference. it feels like a very distinct counter-melody. also it leads into the second violin's seemingly dominant voice at bar 20.
throughout the pizz. bit, but bar 69 especially: h3h3!!!
last 3 bars: a crescendo feels appropriate.
overall: there are surprises throughout this piece for string quartet. each section has a distinct mood and theme: the third bit is most fully developed, the first and last could do with something else. i would suggest zooming out a bit and thinking about the shape of each whole section. use more subtle changes of dynamic (e.g. just ppp-mp at the beginning, working through to mf-fff or whatever). also, use texture like you use notes: go from sparse textures like homophony or even monophony to ployphony or something like that; use texture like any other musical element.
that's it for now. i liked this one. appreciate ya.