Glenn Stallcop

String Quartet

Composer's Note:

String Quartet No. 1 was written in the winter of 1990. It is fully representative of the modal/process style that I followed from about 1985-1992. This work has been called the “Woodpecker” because of the knocking on the wood that occurs in the third movement. The knocking doesn’t actually refer to anything in particular, but I conceived of the passage with percussion and decided to use the sounds that were available.

The music represents a certain restlessness which I was feeling at the time, as many changes and challenges were occurring in my life. The style which dominates the piece, proved to be too refined and controlled for the expressive urges I was feeling. A few months after writing this piece, I began pursuing something very different.

The piece was first performed at what turned out to be the last concert of the Arizona Composers Forum in the spring of 1991 by members of the Tucson Symphony.

https://stallcop.com/string-quartet-no-1-1991/