for viola da gamba quartet — 10’

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    …poco a poco… is an exploration of ascent and acceleration. I thought of the viol quartet not as four voices but rather as a single instrument, tuning them apart by eighth-tones to approach both time and pitch as a continuum. The intention behind the piece it is not anticipatory or exhilarating but rather patient, or yielding — my goal was to avoid my usual tendency of relying on contrast to create form and, instead, commit to a single idea for the entirety of the piece. 

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Viols are to be tuned in eighth-tones around concert A. The instruments may be distributed in whatever way is most convenient for the performers, as long as they are in continuous 25 cent increments. The performers should also sit in a semi-circle where the instruments are arranged from highest to lowest (from left to right). An example would be: +50c, +25c, +0c, -25c. 

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Written for and premiered by Science Ficta