top of page

String Quartet no. 1 Principia Chromatica

Foreword

In recent years I have focused mainly on composing for different media such as Electronic and Video. My String quartet no.1  "Principia Chromatica" (2014) is a result of five years of research which included various of sketches for different classical instruments. During this process I was interested in finding new approaches of writing for traditional instruments, and by that discovering a new aesthetic.

The piece consists of three movements, each composed according to a different principle. The idea was to reveal a new musical form which is based on the interval relations of the "chromatic scale". I used various of composition techniques from the 17th century to modern techniques, as well referring to historical examples such as: Polyphony, Canon, Fugue, Harmonic system, Tristan-chord, Twelve-tone, Serialism, New Complexity and Noise. 

By using different composition techniques from different epochs, each with its own distinctive character, properties and particular treatment of the “chromatic scale”, I strive for creating an heterogeneous dramaturgy. This dramaturgy enfolds a reference to an historical age and therefore affects the process of perception in a trascendental manner. My String quartet no. 1  “Principia Chromatica” follows what I would like to call the principle of “Trans-ages Music”.

 

by Tatsuru Arai

 

 

 

bottom of page