string quartet no. 16

Question 1

who is the composer of String Quartet No. 16, Mvt. I: Loneliness?

Answer 1

the composer of String Quartet No. 16, Mvt. I: Loneliness is Peter Sculthorpe

Question 2

what could be discussed under the concept of structure in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 2

macro: ternary form; A (bars 1-8), B (bars 9-12), A (bars 13-18)
micro: -

Question 3

what could be discussed under the concept of pitch in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 3

tonality: A minor
roles: bar 1: violin I- melody, cello- harmony, didjeridu- C drone / bar 9: violin I- melody, violin II/viola- harmony, cello- (harmonics), didjeridu- C drone
range/register: violin I- high register/small range, violin II- medium register/small range, viola- medium register/small range, cello- low register/small range
content: scale of C-Db-D-Eb-E-F-G-Ab-B-C, bar 5: perfect 5th chord in cello, bar 9: minor 3rd chord/augmented 5th in violin II, bar 12: minor 2nd in violin I/violin II/viola, bar 12: near pentatonic scale, C drone in didjeridu throughout

Question 4

what could be discussed under the concept of texture in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 4

density: bar 1: thin, bar 9: thicker, bar 13: thinner
roles: bar 1: violin I- melody, cello- harmony, didjeridu- C drone / bar 9: violin I- melody, violin II/viola- harmony, cello- (harmonics), didjeridu- C drone
type: bar 1: homophonic (cello melody/didjeridu drone), bar 9: homophonic (violin I melody, violin II/viola/cello harmony, didjeridu drone)

Question 5

what could be discussed under the concept of tone colour in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 5

ensemble: string quartet with added didjeridu
layers: bar 1: violin I- melody, cello- harmony, didjeridu- C drone / bar 9: violin I- melody, violin II/viola- harmony, cello- (harmonics), didjeridu- C drone
techniques: C drone in didjeridu throughout, swells between C and D in didjeridu- implies perfect cadence (I, V, I) or Dorian parallel motion (non-Western), harmonics played in cello to create seagull noises, bar 9-12: grace notes in violin I, bar 9-12: accents in violin
quality: bar 3-8: warm quality in didjeridu, shrill quality in violin I/II

Question 6

what could be discussed under the concept of dynamics and expressive techniques in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 6

dynamics: bar 1-8: mf/mp/mf, bar 9-12: f/p, bar 13-18: mp/p/mp/f/mp
expressive techniques: C drone in didjeridu throughout, swells between C and D in didjeridu- implies perfect cadence (I, V, I) or Dorian parallel motion (non-Western), harmonics played in cello to create seagull noises, bar 9-12: grace notes in violin I, bar 9-12: accents in violin

Question 7

what could be discussed under the concept of duration in String Quartet No. 16?

Answer 7

beat: bar 1-8: dotted crotchet, bar 9-12: quaver, bar 13-18: dotted crotchet
pulse: bar 1-8: ambiguous, bar 9-12: ambiguous, bar 13-18: ambiguous
meter: bar 1: 8/4, bar 9: 3/2, bar 13: 8/4
tempo: crotchet = 63bpm, liberamente
style: contemporary Australian art music
content: con tristeza- ‘with sadness’, fermata, diminution throughout in violin I