Kinetics: twenty one microludes (2019)
Kinetics was commissioned by the Friction quartet as part of their second commissioning initiative.
Program Notes:
Kinetics, comprised of twenty one microludes after Kurtag’s 12 Microludes, is an exploration of the string quartet’s ability to portray different kinds of motion as a unit, as various subsets, and as individual instruments. This exploration of motion unfolds in the form of miniatures, allowing for several disparate characters of music to coexist while 4 solos, based off of similar material, weave a thread of continuity throughout. The piece culminates in the ensemble acting as one, playing the final “solo” movement in unison.
Movements:
1 Episodic, Severe
2 Delicate, Breathing
3 Boiling Over
4 Dry, Disparate
5 Viola Solo/Push and Pull Freely
6 Choppy, Carving
7 Stirring, Lumping
8 Bustling, Fierce
9 Cello Solo/Stretching, Jumping
10 Weighty, Lethargic
11 Shear, Glassy
12 Luminous, Floating for Emily
13 Violin I Solo/Quiet, Fragile
14 Agitated, Trudging
15 Sweeping, Smooth
16 Warm, Woven
17 Violin II Solo/Rough, Resonant
18 Light, Metered
19 Exuberant, Blazing
20 Sloping, Tipping
21 In Synchrony