| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 3 separate pieces |
|---|---|
| Composition Year | 1972-90 ca. |
| Genre Categories | Quartets; For flute, bassoon, violin, cello; Scores featuring the flute; |
Contents |
Strange Quartet No.1
*#886533 - 0.57MB, 38 pp. - (-) - !N/!N/!N - 20×⇩ - Pseudotonal
PDF typeset by composer
Pseudotonal (2023/12/4)
Strange Quartet No.2 (Less Strange Quartet)
*#886534 - 2.83MB, 17 pp. - (-) - !N/!N/!N - 11×⇩ - Pseudotonal
PDF typeset by composer
Pseudotonal (2023/12/4)
Strange Quartet No.3 (Stranger Quartet)
*#886535 - 0.40MB, 18 pp. - (-) - !N/!N/!N - 9×⇩ - Pseudotonal
PDF typeset by composer
Pseudotonal (2023/12/4)
|  |
| Work Title | Strange Quartets |
|---|---|
| Alternative. Title | |
| Composer | Drehmer, Earl Richard |
| I-Catalogue NumberI-Cat. No. | None [force assignment] |
| Movements/SectionsMov'ts/Sec's | 3 separate pieces |
| Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 1972-90 ca. |
| First Performance. | 2012/06/26 |
| First Publication. | 2012-23 |
| Average DurationAvg. Duration | 20.2 minutes |
| Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
| Piece Style | Modern |
| Instrumentation | SQ1: Vibraphone, Bassoon, Piano, Contrabassoon SQ2: Flute, Violin, Cello, Bassoon SQ3: Alto Saxophone, Bass Trombone, 37-key Melodica, 2 1/2 Octave Glockenspiel |
| Extra Information | 3 separate pieces, each with an unusual combination of instruments |
Strange Quartet 1 was originally written for Piccolo, Oboe, Cello, and Contrabassoon. This is fine on paper, but was difficult to sequence on my Ensoniq EPS. Later it also proved too difficult to perform by Finale. So, I made a version in the EPS for Vibraphone (replacd the Piccolo), English Horn, Piano (replaced the Cello), and Contrabassoon. Then, when I put it into Finale and attempted to get a good recording from that, I replaced the oboe with bassoon because of the faulty range. This final versions is the one here. Here are the comments I made when I published it in YouTube: I wrote this about 1972 or 1973. Most composers write string quartets. So, to be different I wrote a quartet with an odd assortment of instruments and called it Strange Quartet. The whole work is 12-tone (dodecaphonic), with some of my own ideas thrown in. I use what I call "Tone Islands" where short bursts of notes play all 12 notes, but not necessarily in "row" order. Also, I used non-meter notation in a section, which I've notated without stems or beams, though I originally had them. Finale makes it too difficult to have gradual ritardando-sounding lines mixed with others at the same time. My original instrumentation was Piccolo, Oboe, Cello, and Contrabassoon. When I attempted to use my Ensoniq EPS to sequence it so I could hear it, I realized that I couldn't get MIDI to reproduce all the Cello techniques in the piece, so I arranged the Cello part for Piano instead. Then I thought that Vibraphone would sound better than Piccolo. Finally, I notated the whole thing in Finale. But the Oboe part was better played on an English Horn or Bassoon. So, this score uses Bassoon. For a live performance it would be better to use an Oboe for the higher notes and a Bassoon for the lower notes. It would then end up being a quintet. Oh well! I would really prefer if it could be performed by the original orchestration. The recording here uses English Horn instead of Oboe I think. I can't remember since I sequenced and recorded it over 35 years ago.
