String Quintet
2 vln, vla, vcl, cb
Duration: 25:00
Date of Composition: 1996
PROGRAM NOTES:
The String Quintet is unusual in that it adds a double bass to the traditional quartet (two violins, viola, cello) instead of a second viola or cello. A rather famous quintet by Dvorák, along with a few string orchestra pieces occasionally performed by five soloists, constitute most of the repertoire. It has been suggested that composers shun this combination of instruments because the double bass, being of the viol instead of the violin family, does not blend well with the string quartet. But the way I hear it, the double bass lends to the ensemble a solid footing – indeed, it even adds an orchestral dimension.
The presence of the double bass not only altered the sonority of the ensemble, but also influenced my decision to use a multi-movement structure. The resonance of a plucked bass string suggested a second movement exclusively dedicated to pizzicato. (No doubt, the famous pizzicato Scherzo of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth was also an influence). The pizzicato movement then called for a slow movement, which, in turn, called for a quick finale.
All four movements make use of what I call excursive design, in which a number of melodic, harmonic, and textural ideas circulate, most often to return in an altered form. These formal elements generally consist of tonal materials, yet the piece is scarcely tonal in the traditional sense. In other words, it is not in any certain key, but modulates more in order to highlight sections that to support a given tonality. More important, perhaps, to the listener is the rate of musical flow, which is rapid and intense, demanding a high level of concentrated energy from the performers.
The String Quintet is dedicated to my friend and colleague Kevin Volans, whose stunningly pure Second and Third String Quartets were an inspiration. There is even a passage in my work that reminds me of a passage in Kevin’s Second. This and the fact that I have owed him a letter for at least six months clearly determined the dedication.
-James Sellars