# "Blasted Heath" for String Quartet



## Torkelburger

A new piece of mine for string quartet called "Blasted Heath". I hope you enjoy. Comments welcome. Thank you.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS5NTp7b-xE


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## esharpe

Most Excellent: Need to listen to it more than once


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## violadude

Someone's been listening to lots of Shostakovich.


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## Torkelburger

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Martinu, Schnittke, Fine, Berger, Stravinksy, and Vaughn-Williams.

I compose with my imagination using the compositional techniques I was shown in school. For this piece I used techniques from every chapter in Vincent Persichetti’s _Twentieth Century Harmony_ book (as I do for the majority of my large scale compositions). All 13 chapters.

For example, a lesson from Chapter 1 titled “Intervals” was used to compose the two-part writing in the codetta of the first theme group and the coda. Chapter 2 “Scale Materials” was used to compose the first theme group’s melody and counterpoint (symmetrical scale) and the second-theme group’s melody and counterpoint (pentatonic scale). Chapter 3 “Chords by Thirds” was used to determine chord progressions from the entire piece, and extended chord structures (ninth and eleventh chords) in the recapitulation preparation and final coda. Chapter 4 “Chords by Fourths” was used to compose the pizzicato arpeggio harmony in the viola and violoncello of the second theme group of the exposition and recapitulation. Chapter 5 “Added-Note Chords” was used in combination with the chord progressions as described above for Chapter 3. Chapter 6 “Chords by Seconds” was used to compose a few chords in the coda. Chapter 7 “Polychords” was used to compose a large portion of the harmony in the development section as well as a small section in the coda. Chapter 8 “Compound and Mirror Harmony” was used to compose several ostinatos in the piece (both inexact and exact mirroring appear). Compound construction appears in a couple chords in the coda. Chapters 9, 10, and 13 were used “overall”. Chapter 11 “Embellishment and Transformation”’s section “Pedal Point and Ostinato” and “Unison Writing” were used throughout. Chapter 12 “Key Centers” was used to compose the middle section of the development section where polytonality occurs. Chapter 13 is a synthesis chapter of putting it all together.

I start with a form that allows me to repeat ideas in a clear way for an audience to understand (sonata allegro never fails for that goal). And I pick two or three intervals I find attractive (such as the tritone and minor third in this piece) and exploit them in every possible way musically. The intervals, scales, and chords come from that goal.


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## MoonlightSonata

This is fantastic.


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## Torkelburger

This piece recently won the Theatre of New Music ensemble (of Saratov, Russia) Call For Scores and was performed in 2016-2017 season at two concerts: November 26, 2016 in the Saratov State Conservatory named LV Sobinov and December 22, 2016 December in the music name Moscow State Institute A.G. Schnittke. Link to video below of one of the live performances by this group. Also the piece won the ABLAZE Records call for scores for their Millennial Masters Vol. 6 CD available on spotify, amazon, NAXOS Music Library, etc. (the original recording).


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## EdwardBast

Congratulations Adam! Excellent piece! I missed your first posting of this work. I must say that your original computer generated perfromance helped me going into the live one as some of the detail gets lost for me in the acoustics of that venue. Or maybe it is the recording? String quartet seems a congenial medium for you. Your "orchestration" is very good and does recall Shostakovich for me — everyone having melodic material most of the time, if only an ostinato, general contrapuntal texture, octave doublings in the more spare passages rather than trying to fatten up the texture.


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## tdc

I think you are one of the better composers I've listened to at TC. You've posted impressive works on a number of occasions. You seem very strong in harmony and structure and in terms of cohesion. The only advice I would give based on my subjective tastes is maybe sometimes you sound _too_ textbook, or there is something about your music that is not quite weird or surprising enough.

Keep in mind this is just based on my tastes and I've admittedly never composed anything as good as you.


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## TurnaboutVox

I can only add that I really enjoyed your piece for string quartet. It is very impressive.


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## Pugg

tdc said:


> I think you are one of the better composers I've listened to at TC. You've posted impressive works on a number of occasions. You seem very strong in harmony and structure and in terms of cohesion. The only advice I would give based on my subjective tastes is maybe sometimes you sound _too_ textbook, or there is something about your music that is not quite weird or surprising enough.
> 
> Keep in mind this is just based on my tastes and I've admittedly never composed anything as good as you.


This, specially the last bit, composing is not for me.


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## MarkMcD

Hello Torkelburger,

I've listened to your piece a couple of times now and although it is quite outside of my usual comfort zone, it is more than obvious that it has some real sophistication and elegance. I might even go so far as to say that you and others are starting to open my eyes to the merits of modern composition and even inspiring me to venture out into new fields with my writing.

Have a happy new year and all the best for 2017

Mark


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## Torkelburger

Wow! Thank you everyone for the kind and supportive words! It means a lot to me. I am honored to have you listen to my music and give your opinion. Edward, yes I think you and violadude are right in that it does recall Shostakovich's writing. I especially love his middle quartets (5 through 8). My rhythm and meter is also closer to what he does than say, what Bartok and Stravinsky do. Tdc, that's a good point about being too academic and needing surprises. That will give me something to work on, but it will take some time though. Being too academic probably comes from me having a bit of a chip on my shoulder for not having a master's degree like so many other composers have and I overcompensate by writing too textbook and being too studious.

Again, thanks to everyone for your comments.


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