Composer

:

Giacinto Scelsi

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Quartet

Compose Date

:

1964

Publication Date

:

1964

First Performance

:

1966

Average_duration

:

11:26

Giacinto Scelsi's String Quartet No. 4 is a composition that was completed in 1964. The piece was premiered in Paris in 1965 by the Arditti Quartet. The quartet is divided into three movements, each with its own unique characteristics. The first movement, marked "Lento," is characterized by its slow and meditative pace. The quartet begins with a series of long, sustained notes that gradually build in intensity. The music is marked by a sense of tension and release, with the quartet moving between moments of quiet introspection and more forceful, dramatic passages. The movement is notable for its use of microtonal intervals, which create a sense of ambiguity and instability in the music. The second movement, marked "Allegro," is a more energetic and rhythmic section of the quartet. The music is marked by its use of complex rhythms and intricate counterpoint, with each member of the quartet contributing to the overall texture of the piece. The movement is notable for its use of pizzicato, with the quartet members plucking the strings of their instruments to create a percussive effect. The final movement, marked "Lento," returns to the slower, more contemplative pace of the first movement. The music is marked by its use of long, sustained notes and a sense of spaciousness and openness. The quartet members play with a sense of restraint and delicacy, creating a sense of intimacy and introspection in the music. The movement is notable for its use of harmonics, with the quartet members producing high, ethereal tones by lightly touching the strings of their instruments. Overall, Scelsi's String Quartet No. 4 is a complex and challenging work that showcases the composer's unique approach to composition. The piece is marked by its use of microtonal intervals, complex rhythms, and intricate counterpoint, as well as its sense of tension and release and its use of pizzicato and harmonics.

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