Edith Cowan University Research Online Theses : Honours Theses 2007 The new String Quartet : The evolution of the Hyperquartet Rachael Dease Edith Cowan University Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons Part of the Other Music Commons Recommended Citation Dease, R. (2007). The new String Quartet : The evolution of the Hyperquartet. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ theses_hons/1201 This Thesis is posted at Research Online. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses_hons/1201 The New String Quartet : The Evolution of the Hyperquartet RachaeiDease Bachelor of Performing Arts (Honours) Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts 2 November 2007 Edith Cowan University Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorize you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. 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ABSTRACT This article explores the phenomenon of the rejuvenation of the string quartet in contemporary musical culture through the use of electronics. I will discuss how recent works; including my own works Spiral (1999) and Seven Ballads til Dawn (2007) have adopted some features of popular music and new technology, while still maintaining the integrity and flavour of their classical heritage. I will use several different examples to show the ways in which a quartet can become a "hyperquartet" through the use of amplification, effects processors and playback. ii DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: I. incorporate without acknowledgement any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; II. contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; or Ill. contain any defamatory material. I grant permission for the Library at Edith Cowan University to make duplicate copies of my thesis as required. Many thanks to Cat Hope and the Honours' Lecturers at the Academy for their generosity with time and support. Rachael Dease 12 November 2008 iii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... ii INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................2 NEW SOUNDS ................................................................................................3 WHY USE STRINGS? .....................................................................................4 THE AMPLIFIED HYPERQUARTET ............................................................... 5 THE AMPLIFIED AND MANIPULATED HYPERQUARTET .......................... 10 LIVE PLAYBACK AND THE HYPERQUARTET ............................................ 11 THE HYPERQUARTET IN THE STUDIO ...................................................... 13 THE USE OF PLAYBACK AND SAMPLING ................................................. 16 RETURNING TO PURE ACOUSTIC SOUND ............................................... 18 THE HYPERQUARTET PERSONIFIED- THE KRONOS QUARTET .......... 19 CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................21 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................24 INTRODUCTION I have developed the term hyperquartet only to string quartets because of the importance of the ensemble in western classical music. It has one of the most extensive bodies of work written for it, and there are ensembles all over the world dedicated to performing string quartet works exclusively. Essentially- it is a very popular ensemble. For the past 400 years the string quartet has been, along with the symphony, essential in any composer's repertoire. It is one of those ensembles that define who the composer is at their core. Unlike the symphony, which is often written with bombastic, grandiose and majestic statements of sound and energy, the string quartet is a personal statement. The simple act of choosing to write a quartet is often the mark of a composer's maturity. Ludwig Van Beethoven, Dmitri Shostakovich and Bela Bartok all articulated important phases of their compositional style with the string quartet genre. It has none of the extensive sonic flair and tonal colour of larger ensembles and poor skill is not easily disguised. Another distinguishing feature of the string quartet is that the ensemble itself is very often made up of long-serving and skilled performers, especially in the case of world renowned and popular quartets such as the Brodsky and Kronos Quartets. This gives the ensemble a rare chance to intimately know each others playing, their strengths and weaknesses and their combined sound is usually familiar to many a classical music aficionado. The incorporation of various types of music technology within the string quartet forum has grown exponentially during the past 60 years, and 2 slowly but surely, the more traditional classical fold of composers and performers is embracing what technology can do to enhance their music and excite their listeners. The string quartet has been at the forefront of this school of thought, most probably due to its intimate and intense persona. Music technology can be embraced through the addition of amplification, electronic effects and playback. The string quartet has until quite recently been the definitive example of the "classical" music ideal of music for musicians, far removed from the distractions of everyday life. It is remarkable and exciting that this genre has not only been rejuvenated, but it has become a symbol of an exciting new direction in "art music". I will show several key examples of how recording technology has enhanced the organic acoustic sounds of the string quartet. From the "electrifying" of the ensemble, to processing and layering natural and unnatural sounds in the recording studio. I have developed the term "hyperquartet" for the result of the outcome of these processes that elevates the music a beyond what is considered the traditional quartet. NEW SOUNDS Music technology can be embraced through the addition of electronic effects, playback or amplification. The main aspect of the hyperquartet is the use of technology to explore new sounds and timbres. "The striving for new timbres has in the past marked the difference between classical music, which has tended to be pitch and rhythm-based, 3 and popular music - parlicularly rock- which has tended to be timbre and rhythm based"1 The traditional quartet has a uniform range of timbres within each instrument, but with a variety of sounds available by bowing and fingering effects. The latter were explored in music from the early 20th century, but in the 1950's and 60's the possibilities of string sounds combines were extended in pieces like Krzysztof Penderecki's Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima (1960) and Steve Reich's Violin Phase (1967), with another step forward coming in George Crumb's Black Angels: Thirteen Images from the Dark Land (1970). WHY USE STRINGS? Composers use technology in many ways with many different kinds of ensembles, but many of these groups are made up of unusual combinations of instruments specifically formed for that particular piece. String quartets are often established groups of highly skilled players dedicated to playing the music written for them over hundreds of years. They are also arguably the most common classical ensemble in the western world, which make them desirable to composers due to their availability to perform new works all over the world. The others reasons for composers choosing to use electronic devices are the physical nature of the instruments. Overall, the most impressive results with electronic amplification have been achieved with string instruments. This is mainly due to their physical qualities of bodily 1 Dave Headlam, "Redrawing Boundaries", Contemporary Music Review 19 (2000): 118 4 resonance and sensitive vibratory response that allows for some extensive interference with the fundamental source of the sound. Therefore a wide range of auditory options is available to the composer and the performer. By treating the strings in such a manner it is possible to produce sounds from the instrument that otherwise would never be heard - such as sympathetic vibrations, usually inaudible harmonics and partials. The player is also able to produce sounds that would never be heard by the naked ear- a whole range of seemingly never ending new effects