Bach-Shards

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello — While composing Bach-Shards I found myself gravitating, intuitively and gradually, toward a dual goal.xa0 First, though the tension and dissonance inherent in certain moments of Bach’s own maze-likexa0 contrapuntal structures could quite easily and naturally lead one into a pungent contemporary terrain, I opted not to stray outside the realm of Bach-like materials and harmonic language.xa0 Instead, it was my hope to alter their relationships and context in ways that add up to a something that’s slightly different than the anticipated sum of the parts.xa0 A mildly deconstructed Bach, if you will.xa0 The other important challenge I set for myself was building up the latter, toccata-like portion of Bach-Shards in a way that would make the entry point of the fugue which it precedes, Contrapunctus X, seem thoroughly natural.xa0 It was my intent to have the first fugal entrance feel like a huge and much welcome release of the energy created by my Prelude’s penultimate stretch, with its bravura figurations elaborating on an insistent dominant pedal point. A commission by the Brentano String Quartet, as part of the Art of the Fugue companion piece project, has Ran constructing a fascinating Prelude to Contrapunctus X. "I opted not to stray outside the r ealm of Bach-like materials and harmonic language," says Ran, instead using her own skills to create "something that's slightly different than the anticipated sum of the parts. A mildly deconstructed Bach, if you will." Bach-Shards leads directly to the entry point of Contrapunctus X, such that the entrance becomes a logical and emotional release of the energy built up throughout Ran's Prelude. Ba ch-Shards should always be performed as a prelude to Contrapunctus X. For advanced players. Duration: 4'