Light Scattering – String Quartet No 3

Andrea Tarrodi [born 1981]

Light Scattering – String Quartet No 3 [2014]

Light Scattering was commissioned by Musik i Syd and written for the Brodsky Quartet. The first idea that came to mind when I started composing was the idea of glass in different shapes, colours and structures. Then I started thinking about how different glass types reflect and refract the sunlight, how the light dances on the surface of the water and how it bounces from mirrors and shines through windows.

The piece starts with a chord progression built entirely on the overtone series, performed only with natural harmonics. The chord progression returns in different shapes throughout the piece. In the beginning of the piece a solo in the violoncello presents another building block of the composition, a melody that also returns several times. The musical material is based on the Gregorian mode where the dorian and mixolydian scales are the most prominent. I also experimented a lot with different timbres. The performers switch frequently between sul ponticello, sul tasto and normale, in my mind creating different lights in different directions and colours.
– Andrea Tarrodi