Fais de Beaux Rêves

Abstract

Fais de Beaux Rêves is a single-movement atonal string quartet for a duration of approximately 17 minutes. My inspiration for this piece came from my language immersion experience in the French School at Middlebury College. The single movement is divided into three sections, ABA1 respectively. My initial conception for the form of this piece centered around the Fibonacci Sequence, and the shape of a spiral. The A section is divided into two parts, and upon its return, these parts are reversed. In this way, the form of the piece can also be described as A(i)A(ii)BA(ii)1A(i)1.

While the two parts of the A section are divided by a metric and textural shift, the harmonic language unites these two parts. The A section is constructed by using subsets of 6-27 (013469), which contains the maximum number of minor thirds in its interval vector, <225222>. I used the second movement of Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in D Minor as a textural model for the second part of the A section. During my time at Middlebury, Schubert’s well known quartet took on a new meaning for me as it became a regular companion on my daily walks.

The B section contrasts radically to the A section in its harmonic language, rhythmic syntax, and overall character. The foundational element of the B section is the primary melody, which spells out the name of a dear friend whom I met at Middlebury. The harmonic language moves from one dominated by minor thirds to one dominated by major thirds and is constructed from subsets of set class 6-20 (014589).

My experiences in Middlebury’s language immersion program evoked in me a wide range of emotions. The inability to express myself sufficiently through language often left me with a sense of isolation and frustration. However, over the course of the summer I also experienced a new level of joy in hard-earned friendships.