# Adagio for string quartett on the notes B-A-C-H



## gprengel (Dec 21, 2015)

This is a very meditative Adagio in g minor for a stringquartett on the famous 4-note pattern B-A-C-H.
The atmosphere here is of deep sadness and pain. A contrasting second theme in Eb Major, a kind of choral, rises up from this like a solemn prayer .

http://gerdprengel.de/b-a-c-h.mp3
http://gerdprengel.de/b-a-c-h.pdf

Gerd


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Does sound meditative. I get you want it polyphonic, but I would pay attention to the overall flow, as in the motion of the voices and when they change together and apart. There are nice moments, but I felt quite a few awkward moments also.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I find it charming! Though, not as sad as you described it. I did feel the rise however, .


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## gprengel (Dec 21, 2015)

Phil loves classical said:


> ... There are nice moments, but I felt quite a few awkward moments also.


Thank you, Phil, I now made some minor corrections. 
Could you please give some examples of "awkward moments" so I can better understand what you mean?


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

For example, the rhythm in bar 8 with the dotted quarter note in the viola, together with the rhythm in the violin in diminuendo, and then 2nd violin and cello coming in sounds kind of awkward to me. Also bar 11, with parallel fifths between violin and cello, and then the 2nd violin plays repeats a chord note before (the A in F A C), in ending the phrase. The large leaps and uncertain direction in the cello in bars 18-20 makes it sound a bit lost to me. Overall I would say it sounds you're starting phrases or changing them when the motion of the parts are incomplete or not satisfying, which sounds jarring to me. There are some nice moments of chromaticism I thought inside some phrases which makes it sound sort of mystical.


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