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Cabinet of Spices (2025), for string quartet
theme and microtonal variations, for string quartet
Cabinet of Spices began as an experiment, written to explore questions I have about the performance of microtonal music on standard instruments, as well as questions about the nature of microtonal music, its potential, and its relationship to established Western music practices. Is there a limit to how complex a tuning system can get before it becomes impractical for musicians to consistently and accurately reproduce? Are the sonorities of those systems worth the effort? How can these systems be used to create tension and release? How do the developed methods and principles for composing in 12-equal translate to other systems? How do these sonorities interact with other elements of music (i.e., rhythm and metric stress, expression, etc.)? These questions and more informed the structure of this piece: the theme of Cabinet of Spices is in 12-tone equal temperament, and the subsequent variations pass the material through tuning systems of increasing difficulty, both for the performer and the listener. The title Cabinet of Spices alludes to the idea of exploring, mixing, and matching different harmonic flavors. Because of the nature of the piece, it can also be practiced outside of performance as an etude: an ensemble can push for the unfamiliar to become the familiar and use the work as a means to explore this novel sonic landscape.
All deliveries include both score and parts.
Cabinet of Spices is an open-ended work: I plan to continue building upon and revising the piece as I gain more experience with microtonality. Because of this, those who purchase this work digitally will receive revised versions via email as they are completed for 5 years after their purchase at no extra cost. Owners of physical copies of the work will be notified when revisions of the work are released and can repurchase at a discounted price.
theme and microtonal variations, for string quartet
Cabinet of Spices began as an experiment, written to explore questions I have about the performance of microtonal music on standard instruments, as well as questions about the nature of microtonal music, its potential, and its relationship to established Western music practices. Is there a limit to how complex a tuning system can get before it becomes impractical for musicians to consistently and accurately reproduce? Are the sonorities of those systems worth the effort? How can these systems be used to create tension and release? How do the developed methods and principles for composing in 12-equal translate to other systems? How do these sonorities interact with other elements of music (i.e., rhythm and metric stress, expression, etc.)? These questions and more informed the structure of this piece: the theme of Cabinet of Spices is in 12-tone equal temperament, and the subsequent variations pass the material through tuning systems of increasing difficulty, both for the performer and the listener. The title Cabinet of Spices alludes to the idea of exploring, mixing, and matching different harmonic flavors. Because of the nature of the piece, it can also be practiced outside of performance as an etude: an ensemble can push for the unfamiliar to become the familiar and use the work as a means to explore this novel sonic landscape.
All deliveries include both score and parts.
Cabinet of Spices is an open-ended work: I plan to continue building upon and revising the piece as I gain more experience with microtonality. Because of this, those who purchase this work digitally will receive revised versions via email as they are completed for 5 years after their purchase at no extra cost. Owners of physical copies of the work will be notified when revisions of the work are released and can repurchase at a discounted price.