forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit

Abstract

This quartet features a transparent structure in which a dense, static ensemble motif gradually and smoothly transforms into a highly active and agitated counter-motif. This process repeats twice: with each iteration, the motif and counter-motif return in subtler, brighter forms as their texture and timbers evolve, as the quartet seems to recall the preceding material in decreasingly vivid manifestation. These motifs and the developmental climaxes invoke an organic sensation of breathing, both gentle shallow breaths and intense hyperventilation. Throughout, the quartet is asked to explore gradual transformations of playing techniques including bowing, vibrato and harmonics, as well as dramatic contrasts in texture and timber that emerge over the duration of the structure. In Book One of the Aeneid, as the titular hero and his crew are washed ashore and contemplating the harrows of their journey, Aeneas entreats his companions to stay resolute in their search for a New Troy, offering the hope that despite their challenges and suffering, “perhaps one day it will help to remember even these things.” Fundamentally, via organic contours and gradual evolutions, this quartet explores notions of remembrance and teleological determination.