for string quartet
duration: 7 min.
Commissioned by the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington
Premiered by Nathan Cole, violin; Akiko Tarumoto;
Burchard Tang, viola; Priscilla Lee, cello (August 22, 2014)
Go was commissioned by The Chamber Music Festival of Lexington and premiered on August 22, 2014 at the Fasig-Tipton Pavilion. Inspired by the Kentucky blue landscape and world-renowned horse race tracks and farms, Go is a high energy, groove oriented singlemovement work for string quartet. The piece begins as if each member of the quartet is at the starting line of a race. Using glissando techniques to create a revving effect, the movement opens with a series of roaring engines that increase in intensity before locking into a groove that becomes the foundation of the piece. Several different grooves and rhythmic patterns develop as the quartet continues to round the track. The piece ultimately ends with a “sprint to the finish.”