Howl

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, Narrator — When I began the composition of the string quartet for Howl, the tone and rhythm of Allen Ginsberg's reading of the poem were a major inspiration and source of musical ideas. I wanted to convey a sense of the music emerging from the poem/reading and then, as the piece evolved, have the quartet become independent, commenting and colliding with the power of the poem and throwing it into a variety of textural reliefs. In Howl, the narrator and string quartet are equal partners in an often changing relationship, sometimes united in a close and intense rhythmic world and sometimes telling similar stories in separate ways. The rhythm and tone of Allen Ginsberg’s reading of the poem Howl was a main inspiration for Lee Hyla in this ferocious setting. In this score, the narrator and string quartet are equal partners in an often shifting relationship, occasionally uniting in a close and intense rhythmic world and sometimes telling similar stories in separate ways.