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Rosner - String Quartet No. 6, op. 118

Arnold Rosner (1945–2013) / String Quartet No. 6, op. 118 (2004)

Arnold Rosner (1945–2013) /
String Quartet No. 6, op. 118
(2004)

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ARNOLD ROSNER<br />

STRING QUARTET NO. 6<br />

<strong>op</strong>. <strong>118</strong> (2004)


Arnold <strong>Rosner</strong><br />

<strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6<br />

Duration: c. 11 min.<br />

Arnold <strong>Rosner</strong> (1945–2013)<br />

<strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6<br />

C<strong>op</strong>yright © 2015 The Estate of Arnold <strong>Rosner</strong>. www.arnoldrosnermusic.com<br />

Music engraved by Jeffrey Grossman in SCORE 4.01<br />

ver. 7 October 2015


There seems to be a strange trend in the careers and major works<br />

of certain American composers whom we think of as primarily traditionalists,<br />

conservatives and so forth. After having completed an<br />

impressive envel<strong>op</strong>e of symphonies in structured, neo-romantic and<br />

melodic style, for their late career they turned to more <strong>op</strong>aque works of<br />

greater tightness and severity, perhaps indulging in serialism, thicker<br />

harmony than before and puzzling rhythms and sonorities. I would<br />

suggest Vincent Persichetti and William Schuman as examples of this<br />

phenomenon but there are many more. What was their motivation? A<br />

desire to make peace with the style of friends and colleagues in more<br />

atonal styles? (All the more interesting as the listener is unlikely to<br />

find the actual expression peaceful) A sense of having missed certain<br />

of the emotional/spiritual ranges that are natural to those styles? A<br />

sense that they had made their statements in full already, and did not<br />

want to repeat themselves in their own “mainline” idiom? Or “I can<br />

play this game, too?”, or even “Anything you can do I can do better?”<br />

When I learned about serialism I had a mixed reaction, which I<br />

still, half a century later, not fully resolved. “It’s a GAME!” thought<br />

I, and indeed I still think so. Further “If I want to write music, I will<br />

write music; if I want to play a game, I will play bridge!” (And in fact,<br />

so I have, with many tournament championships to my credit). But<br />

12-note melodies get into many of my works, Concerto Grosso <strong>No</strong>. 2;<br />

the Concerto for Two Trumpets, Timpani, and <strong>String</strong>s; and several<br />

others. However, they do not get the serial treatment—the “matrix”<br />

and all the associated baggage.<br />

I composed five string quartets before reaching the age of 30, as well<br />

as a sextet. There were some revisions in the 1990s. I was very pleased<br />

with the quality and variety of these works, but the disadvantage to<br />

that was that for 30 years further, I could not find another quartet in<br />

my imagination. I ultimately decided to use an atmosphere similar<br />

to that of <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 4 (the darkest written thus far) and to<br />

make some usage of 12-tone idiom. Let me hasten to point out that<br />

the “row” material is well under 50% of the music (though more than<br />

in any of my other pieces) and I am still basically “<strong>Rosner</strong>” however<br />

one takes that.


<strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6 actually uses two 12-note permutations, presented<br />

at the outset by viola and cello—and either one will return here<br />

are there on any note: upside-down, backwards—the usual suspects.<br />

Of course, that lends certain melodic spin and unity to the work,<br />

one h<strong>op</strong>es. Other parts, and indeed harmonies, are free, and I think<br />

the real personality of the piece is in those aspects. One fingerprint<br />

in most of my compositions becomes very prominent here—I h<strong>op</strong>e<br />

not to excess. Three instruments play a serious of entirely consonant<br />

harmonies. They neither fit any one tonality on the one hand, or any<br />

pattern of either of the rows on the other. However a fourth instrument<br />

holds a single note (or perhaps two-note chord) almost like a<br />

bagpipe for those few harmonies, and the harmonic progression goes<br />

in and out of consonance and various degrees of dissonance with<br />

that drone. Also there are passages where two instruments move in<br />

identical rhythms (all 16ths, for example) starting on an <strong>op</strong>en fifth<br />

and moving by steps in <strong>op</strong>posite directions. Thus the alternate notes<br />

will be spaced at the 7th, creating brushing or clouding of the focus.<br />

Strangely I used this kind of texture in 1986 in From the Diaries of<br />

Adam Czerniakow where it has an eerie quality of impending doom,<br />

yet in quartet no. 6, I think almost identical music has a more mellowing<br />

or softening effect.<br />

The piece is in one rather uncompromising 11-minute movement.<br />

As consonant and dissonant sounds are used at will, and perhaps in<br />

combination, absolutely confident intonation is required; I do not<br />

believe that the music, however, is difficult in a “Paganini” sense of<br />

passage work, or even in intricacies of rhythm. When all this is clearly<br />

played, if I have succeeded, each hearer will take from it what he or<br />

she feels to be appr<strong>op</strong>riate—anything from a tragic darkness to a<br />

strangely arresting meditative state.<br />

— Arnold <strong>Rosner</strong>


6<br />

Violin I<br />

Adagio ( = c. 57)<br />

to Mattias Vanderwerf<br />

<strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6<br />

Arnold <strong>Rosner</strong><br />

Opus <strong>118</strong> (2004)<br />

Violin II<br />

Viola<br />

poco<br />

Violoncello<br />

5<br />

10<br />

poco<br />

C<strong>op</strong>yright © 2015 Zimbel Press. Exclusive publishing and administrative agent, www.zimbel.com.


7<br />

14<br />

sul G<br />

3<br />

3<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

3<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

18<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

22<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


8<br />

26<br />

3<br />

sub. 3<br />

sub.<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

(sub.)<br />

3<br />

29<br />

33<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


9<br />

36<br />

sub.<br />

sub.<br />

41<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

sost.<br />

3<br />

sost.<br />

3<br />

sost.<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


10<br />

45<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

48<br />

misterioso<br />

misterioso<br />

sul pont.<br />

sul pont.<br />

misterioso<br />

misterioso<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


11<br />

52<br />

3<br />

espr.<br />

ord.<br />

poco<br />

sul pont.<br />

ord., pizz.<br />

55<br />

3<br />

ord.<br />

3 3<br />

espr.<br />

arco<br />

pizz.<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


12<br />

59<br />

3<br />

arco<br />

62<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

65<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


13<br />

68<br />

marcato<br />

marcato 3<br />

marcato<br />

3<br />

marcato<br />

3<br />

71 3<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

74<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


14<br />

77<br />

!<br />

molto<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

!<br />

80<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

molto<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


15<br />

83<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

86<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

89 3 3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


16<br />

92 melodia<br />

non<br />

melodia<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

97 melodia<br />

sub.<br />

3<br />

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


17<br />

100 3 3 3 3<br />

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3<br />

3 3<br />

pizz.<br />

102<br />

3 3<br />

3 3<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

pizz.<br />

arco<br />

arco 3 3 3 3<br />

104<br />

3<br />

3 3 3 3 3 3<br />

3 3<br />

3 3<br />

3<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


18<br />

106<br />

3<br />

sul pont.<br />

3 3<br />

sul pont.<br />

3<br />

3 3<br />

pizz., sul D<br />

arco, sul G<br />

108<br />

3 3<br />

3 3<br />

110<br />

3 3<br />

(arco)<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


19<br />

113<br />

ord.<br />

ord.<br />

<strong>118</strong><br />

pizz. pesante<br />

122<br />

arco<br />

pizz. pesante<br />

arco<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


20<br />

126<br />

3 3 3<br />

pizz. pesante<br />

arco<br />

130<br />

cantabile<br />

3<br />

cantabile<br />

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3<br />

132<br />

cantabile<br />

3<br />

cantabile<br />

3<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6


21<br />

135<br />

139<br />

3<br />

cant.<br />

143<br />

3<br />

pizz.<br />

pizz.<br />

(melodia)<br />

pizz.<br />

pizz<br />

ROSNER: <strong>String</strong> <strong>Quartet</strong> <strong>No</strong>. 6<br />

February 5, 2004

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