Karim Al-Zand: Music: The Art of Conversation (String Quartet No. 3)


The Art of Conversation (String Quartet No. 3)

seven dialogues for string quartet

The Art of Conversation (String Quartet No. 3) was written as a work both for traditional concerts and for “outreach” programs, designed to introduce audiences to aspects of chamber music-making. From its earliest origins, the string quartet has been regarded as the perfect medium for dynamic and refined musical interaction, often likened to a lively “conversation” among companions. image The piece is subtitled “seven dialogues for string quartet,” and each “discursus” develops a musical parallel to a different type of conversation. Listeners will quickly identify the sort of group dynamic being played out in each movement: the first has the instruments cooperating, the second is a monologue for the first violin, the third juxtaposes two distinct duos, and so on. In terms of musical material, the piece is cast as a loose set of variations. In an “outreach” performance of the work, short spoken dialogues alternate with the movements, each one featuring the type of exchange heard in the music which follows. The Art of Conversation was commissioned by the Laguna Beach Music Festival for the Enso String Quartet.

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DATE
2007

DURATION
12 minutes; 18 minutes with dialogue

INSTRUMENTATION
string quartet

MOVEMENTS
Discursus 1: Colloquy
Discursus 2: Monologue
Discursus 3: Dialogues
Discursus 4: Non Sequitur
Discursus 5: Recitative
Discursus 6: Cross Talk
Discursus 7: Fugue

COMMISSION
Enso String Quartet
and the Laguna Chamber Music Festival

PREMIÈRE
October 18, 2007, Bowling Green OH
Bowling Green New Music and Art Festival


AUDIO

Discursus 1: Colloquy
Discursus 2: Monologue
Discursus 3: Dialogues
Discursus 4: Non Sequitur
Discursus 5: Recitative
Discursus 6: Cross Talk
Discursus 7: Fugue


SCORE
PDF


© 2015 KARIM AL-ZAND