Five Pieces for String Quartet

American composers have long been fascinated by nature; works abound that invoke the awe-inspiring majesty of the American landscape. This piece, by contrast, considers nature on a miniature scale—think microbes rather than mountains. In Five Pieces for String Quartet, a fascination with the idiosyncrasies of small-scale form serves as the musical manifestation of this theme. The music unfolds at a hummingbird’s pace and with a mosquito’s sense of direction. Though the movements are formally unique, they are bound together by a symmetrical scheme; the work is bookended by its two longest movements while the shortest sits at the center. The piece can be performed with or without electronics. In the acoustic version, the second and fourth movements are omitted.