String Quartet

The String Quartet –- a tribute to Milton Babbitt on his 90th birthday –- comprises four movements, each of which can stand alone as an individual piece.

Sonata, the first movement, is modeled after the classical sonata allegro. In the first section (exposition), there are three distinct ideas contrasting in character: the first is heavy-handed and relentless, the second, sweet and lyrical, and the third, jocular and bouncy. The succeeding section (development) follows the same thematic trajectory as the exposition, with each of the thematic ideas developed with flights of fancy, commentary, and variation. The final section (recapitulation) brings back the exposition, with the thematic ideas extended in regular patterns.

The second movement is an elegy, In memoriam September 11, 2001. Shir Kinah is a transcription of this movement for string orchestra.

Scherzoid, the third movement, is structured something like a folksong or dance. A rambunctious tune is handed off from one player to the next, over an accompaniment punctuated by pizzicato (plucked strings). This idea is repeated, giving way to a more subdued, but equally flighty section, which, in turn, segues back to the original idea.

The fourth movement, Small Fugue, pays homage to Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge (Great Fugue), using the masterwork as a model. The same thematic idea is developed contrapuntally in three sections: the first is serious and frowning, the second is more somber and reflective, and the last, playful.