String Quartet

String Quartet (1994). Performed by the Bethel Quartet on October 7, 2004 at the KNOB New Music Festival, Wichita, Kansas

Category:

Music

Tags:

• string
• quartet
• 20th
• century
• music
• Webern
• pointillism
• avant
• garde
• modern
• Schoenberg
• 12-tone
• atonal
• dodecaphonic

[Exanimousx]

Max, while this clearly demonstrates an extreme level of craft and talent, it still, in my opinion, echos other composers a bit too much and not enough of a different twist. However, it's very very close, and I would not exclude this from a list of opus numbers by any means.

You could do more with your own personal vision!

Great composing!

[MaxRidgway]

@Exanimousx - Thanks for your comments - and I agree, it's very Webern-like (because I love Webern!) Actual composing (with pencil and paper) is so time consuming - and with so little prospect of a good performance - that I find it's more practical for me to express my "personal vision" directly. If you look at the other videos on this page you'll see it's mostly me and a guitar. I could have made written "compositions" of all of these musical ideas, but it makes no sense to waste the effort.

[5RetardedSquirrels]

I like this, like most music of this style I hear the sounds of nature within its structure.

I just started studying pointallism and atonality in music. I have to say I'm quite pleased with the results. I rarely write pieces that are completely atonal/pointallistic though, I like spreading them through my works in a calculated manner more. I alos write metal music for a band, the members had a good time when I gave them music like this. :)

[MaxRidgway]

You're right - it's not necessary to use the 12 tone technique in the Schoenberg/Webern manner. I did the same thing you're talking about with my jazz fusion band. It's on this page - "Shock Treatment" - the "A" section is a 12-tone row in which each band member plays a different version.

[terrestial63]

5*****!!!!

[MaxRidgway]

Thanks!

[Exanimousx]

Haha, I couldn't agree with Max more on this point... if I wanted to write for "most humans" then I wouldn't be writing music for "mostly me" and I don't need the frustration of writing for someone else unless it pays really, really, really well :-D

[Steinway12345]

Actually, they really reminded me, in parts, of his five movements for string quartet. I really liked it! good work, sir

[ChadRLatta]

which is another reason why the term should not be in MaxRidgeway's tags...

[Steinway12345]

there is no avant-garde. all music is based on something that has been before, therefore it can't truly be avant-garde

[lendallpitts]

I like this piece. It does indeed sound like Webern.