Appalachian Waters – string quartet

Appalachian Waters (8/11/13) for string quartet – 11’35”. The three movements of Appalachian Waters were inspired by actual places.  “Valle Crucis Mountain Spring” is on a mountain path behind the Episcopal Church.  Scales based on repeated interval patterns allow the string players to repeat the same finger pattern on each string.  When the parts are combined, the result is quite chromatic.  “Bass Lake” is part of Moses Cone Park along the Blue Ridge Parkway and has wide, peaceful walkways.  An accompaniment of open fifths played as natural harmonics is heard against dyads in sevenths that frame a tonal middle section.  “The Banner Elk Spillway and Mill Pond” border Lees-McCrae College.  The movement begins with polychords.  An active accompaniment of ascending sixteenth notes and descending triplets play against a slow, rising melody in the middle section.  The movement ends with the same polychords that started it.

Difficult

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To listen to the quartet click here.