Composer

:

James Tenney

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1971

Average_duration

:

22:34

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

James Tenney's "Koan: Having Never Written a Note" is a composition for string quartet that was completed in 1971. The piece was premiered on May 5, 1971, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, by the Kronos Quartet. The composition consists of four movements, each of which explores different aspects of sound and silence. The first movement, "Having Never Written a Note for Percussion," is a reference to John Cage's famous composition of the same name. In this movement, the quartet produces a variety of percussive sounds using their instruments, including tapping, scratching, and plucking. The second movement, "Having Never Written a Note for Strings," is a study in sustained tones and harmonics. The quartet plays long, sustained notes that gradually shift in pitch and timbre, creating a hypnotic effect. The third movement, "Having Never Written a Note for Winds," is a more dissonant and aggressive section of the piece. The quartet plays jagged, angular lines that clash and collide with each other, creating a sense of tension and conflict. The final movement, "Having Never Written a Note for Brass," is a return to the sustained tones and harmonics of the second movement. However, this time the quartet plays with a more open, spacious sound, creating a sense of calm and tranquility. Overall, "Koan: Having Never Written a Note" is a meditation on the nature of sound and silence, and the ways in which they can be manipulated and transformed through musical composition. Tenney's use of unconventional techniques and extended playing techniques creates a unique and innovative sound world that challenges traditional notions of what a string quartet can do.

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