Quartet of Dances (2004), Fourth Movement by Colin Eatock

I thought of the title "Quartet of Dances" before I began to write this four-movement work for string quartet. Sometimes I find myself trying to think of a name for a composition after I've written it – but on this occasion it occurred to me that beginning with this title would take me in new compositional directions. And I believe it did.

Usually, my starting-point for a composition is a melody. But there’s very little melody in the short movements of Quartet of Dances; rather, they are founded on rhythmic ideas. While there are no identifiable social dances to be heard – no waltzes, foxtrots or tangos – the rhythmic vitality of these pieces is intended to invoke the idea of dance in an abstract way.

As well, there is a playfulness about the title – with its double-meaning – that led me to consider other issues. As a result, my Quartet of Dances comes with its own built-in little manifesto: there is too much seriousness in contemporary music. I claim no exemption from my own criticism, as some of my own works unabashedly strive for profundity and gravity. But in these dance movements, I have tried to inject some joie de vivre into new music.

Performers: Pam Himnan, Carolyn Blackwell, violins; Brandon Chui, viola; Lydia Munchinsky, cello