Jagged
Behind the Scenes Interview
About
“Jagged” for String Quartet
“Jagged” uses contrasting textures, scales, and rhythms to create a distinctly uneven yet cohesive result. To develop this quality, I featured the octatonic scale, an inherently irregular scale pattern, alongside the whole tone and minor scales to create a compelling contrast. The rhythm throughout the piece is quite fickle, involving tempo changes, asymmetrical time signatures like 7/8 and 5/8, and frequent shifts in meter.
The uneven nature of the piece is also developed through the broader form, which is built from a series of short fragments stitched together with intentionally sudden transitions to provide a sense of unpredictability. Although these fragments contrast in texture and dynamics, the piece maintains a coherent nature as the result of each section stemming from the same motivic material.
The result is a work that balances its distinctly jagged nature with a cohesive quality.
Performers
Scores
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