twenty four strings : samuelcarladams.com

twenty four strings

commissioned by The Academy and Carnegie Hall
scored for 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 violoncellos
duration ~13'
first performance Monday, October 22, 2012 | Weill Hall @ Carnegie Hall - New York, NY

note twenty four strings is a one-movement composition scored for two violins, two violas, and two violoncellos. I began the sketching process at my home in Brooklyn, New York during the spring of 2012 and completed the score late in the summer while in Oakland, California. The title refers to the twenty-four strings that create the work's sound as well as the twenty-four major and minor keys in the western tonal system.

The form is a fluid ABA propelled by a series of winding, innocuous melodies and a translucent accompaniment. Underneath this narrative exists a dialogue between my own sound world and a set of classical gestures and techniques. In the beginning of the work, these older devices appear merely as ghosts and only subtly present themselves. However, as the music develops they gradually take precedence. During the climax they are fully summoned and transform music that was at once unsuspecting into a wild and obsessive state.

It is my pleasure to dedicate twenty four strings to the fellows of ACJW.

SCORE SAMPLE

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