Justin Williams: Movement for String Quartet

16 August, 2020

Chamber Sounds #7. Watch the world premiere of Movement for String Quartet, composed by Sydney Symphony Viola Justin Williams.

Series: Chamber Sounds
On Demand from: 16 August, 2020

Artists

ANDREW HAVERON violin
LERIDA DELBRIDGE violin
JUSTIN WILLIAMS viola
UMBERTO CLERICI cello

About the Music

Written by Justin Williams

This piece is mostly melody driven and compact by design, comprising distinct and contrasting sections.

Opening with a dramatic flourish to a G minor chord, the quartet makes its way through a turbulent introduction, built on chromaticism aided by augmented 4ths and diminished 5ths, to a place of suspended unrest; the first violin’s anguished call finally leading to a tranquil state, in G Major. This place of peace however is only brief, and leads into the theme presented by the second violin in A minor.

This theme is in fact the origin of the piece, with the movement developed outwardly from this point. From drama and lament, to something more jocular and capricious, an abrupt change occurs in presenting a somewhat pensive fugue that is slightly mournful and disturbed; it gathers in momentum leading back to a reflection on the original theme, and closes with a dramatic crescendo.

I am immensely grateful to Andrew Haveron, Lerida Delbridge and Umberto Clerici for their beautiful, poetic playing, and for bringing this music to life! Thank you also to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for presenting it as part of its Chamber Sounds Digital Series.