Karim Al-Zand

composer

date

2007

duration

12 minutes
18 minutes with dialogue

instrumentation

string quartet:
2 violins, viola, cello

commission

Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Laguna Beach Music Festival for the Enso String Quartet

premiere

January 18, 2008
Laguna Beach Music Festival
Laguna Beach CA

The Art of Conversation

seven dialogues for string quartet

about the piece:

The Art of Conversation was commissioned by the Laguna Beach Music Festival for the Enso String Quartet. The piece is meant to serve as a work both for their regular concerts and for their many “outreach” programs, designed to introduce audiences to aspects of chamber music-making. From its earliest origins, the string quartet has been regarded as the perfect medium for dynamic and refined musical interaction, often likened to a lively “conversation” among companions. imageUsing this analogy, a full presentation of The Art Of Conversation features short spoken dialogues, performed by the quartet, which alternate with the seven movements of the piece. Each conversation parallels the type of musical “discourse” featured in the subsequent movement. The spoken material is omitted in a concert version of the piece, but listeners will quickly identify the sort of group dynamic being played out in each movement: the first has the instruments cooperating, the second is a monologue for the first violin, the third features two distinct duos, and so on. In terms of musical material, the piece is cast as a loose set of variations.

image