Thanks for listening and commenting, Crusoe. I'll address your questions below (in bold)
@crusoe said:
Hi Dave,
I listened to the both movements. One gotta love those solo strings, right? 😊
Again, a very idea-rich, mature composition. Certainly above my modest abilities, so consider the following comments to be questions rather than actual criticism. -Thank you :)
I didn't expect that major chord at the end of the 2nd movement, that was fun 😊 - Hmm, it's just a D Major chord (the tonic chord of the piece). Perhaps what is shocking, is that preceding that final chord, I create a dissonant phrase, with jarring szforzandi that might leave you suspecting that the piece will not end "cheerily on D Major." All part of the journey and sprinkling in some personality.
I liked a few other moments when the piece took an unpredictable turn for me (one is discussed below). String quartets are not something my ear is used to, but I do appreciate the amount of work you've put into this. All 4 voices are clear and independent, and there never was a moment when I was bored. -Thanks again...I really believe in story-telling through music, and take the same opportunities to vary structure, form, harmony, as a film-maker/novelist use literary devices to further the narrative.
One detail that caught my attention was at 3:43-3:48 in the 2nd movement (it repeats a few times throughout this movement). There's a descending melodic line that suddenly stops and then continues after a pause. I wonder why did you decide it to be this way? If there's a verbal way to explain this, of course. Somehow I can't wrap my head around it. -Well, as Hans Christian Andersen said, "when words fail, music speaks." If I wanted to explain my thoughts through words, I wouldn't have written music 😊 Seriously though, it's for dramatic effect. The ear hears the phrase and the subsequent pause and connects the continuing phrase, which has a greater impact than if I extended the melody through the rest (especially since the piece has so much movement...those brief pauses really provide respite for the ears.) Think of it as an excited person making a declamatory statement, then "sighing" to catch their breath, before continuing to speak.
About the mix. The cello appears to be closer to the listener than the violin, making it more prominent in the sound pciture. The "normal" position for the cello would be behind the other players, due to its strong sonority, right? I'm not saying you had to do it this way, just curious to know your reason for these players' positions. Your observeration is correct, in that the cello's presence does seem closer. On the Mir stage, it is a standard semi-circle formation (sometimes the violins sit together of course): violin 1, viola, cello (both further back) and violin 2. That said, the mic placement, left at default position, essentially means that it's closer to violin 2 and cello than violin 1 and viola. Further, the cello samples seem to be more "present" than violin 1 in a side by side comparison at comparable velocity/volume levels. If one compensates by adjusting the cello's velocities "down", it loses the bite or character needed. Finally, I think I'm guilty in general of bringing the cello up a little, because I find it adds a little body to an otherwise "trebly-sounding string quartet." Anyway, there's no right or wrong way to do it, just preferences.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment!
Dave
All the best,
Crusoe.