Some Breaking

String Quartet

Duration - 14' 24''

I composed Some Breaking for Kathleen Dyer Dance NY. There are three distinct sections that make up this string quartet. In the dance, a quartet finds itself lost in a forest of heartbreak where the magic of connection inspires the realization that some breaking is building. I wanted to represent that sense of desolation by a soaring, minor melody in the first violin. It is accompanied by mournful counter melodies in both the second violin and viola. The cello alternates between pizzicato notes and a legato descending line that echoes the music of the first violin. Section two of Some Breaking is almost all pizzicato. I wanted to create a pointillistic effect, so the melody is divided up between the players. The third section is contrastingly bright and rhythmically intricate. There are extended passages where the viola imitates the melodic lines of the cello before they eventually play the same music. The minor theme from section one is brought back at this new faster tempo representing the transformation that happens at the end of the dance.

Audio Recording Below.