British Contemporary composer Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès, [born 1971] has written at least two string quartets. Both of these are named and can be found on one CD. The Four Quarters, premiered in 2011 is in four named movements.
Nightfalls: A quiet glissandi commences the work. We soon have the complete ensemble engaged with wonderful cello lines supporting the violin phrases which work on a descending motif. The motif gives way to a heavy section of strong violin lines occasionally reverting to the previous motif. Now the texture is very close with each instrument using the same phrasing, varying only in harmony. A recapitulation of the opening glissandi and an iteration of the motif make for an eerie sound. The voices overlap in a shimmering manner, again with the close harmony – such a peaceful sound. The main motif reappears, harmonised to marvellous effect. The music ends on a slight fade.
Serenade Morning Dew: Introduced by all instruments in pizzicato, there is a quiet cacophony here. The cello is tonal, while the violins seem to be atonal. Now it reverts to arco and some melodic fragments emerge. A return to pizzicato recreates an earlier mood before concluding with a sharp thrust.
Days: A gently rhythmic phrase from the second violin allows for the first to offer up a lilting melody. The texture builds in instrumentation and intensity until a slow subsidence allows the music to move forward again. Strong rhythmic thrusts now emerge for a short time, until they eventually move back into a more melodic episode –this is very pleasing writing, especially for the first violin. A sense of evanescence drifts away.
The Twenty-Fifth Hour: More pizzicato is prominent in the accompaniment here as the violins’ use of glissando is very fine. The slightly entropic mood is replaced with some sweeping strokes on all instruments, giving up a fine sense of dissonance. A pause leads to a short, soft concluding section.
The review CD, The Twenty-fifth Hour by the Calder Quartet, also contains the other work for string quartet, Arcadiana.
Both pieces can be found on earsense and YouTube.
Listenability: Highly approachable modern works.