Jonathan Berger
String Quartet (no. 6) (‘Swallow’)

Commissioned by the St. Lawrence String Quartet in celebration of their 25th year.

My daughter taught me that swallows communicate in a rich sonic repertoire that humans categorize as chirps, whines, and gurgles. These sounds – lowered in pitch and stretched in time – inspire the musical materials of my sixth quartet. In addition to chirps, whines, and gurgles, the work pays homage to blues musician Mance Lipscomb, as well as Haydn, (in the scherzo of the third movement), and Schubert (in the elegiac fourth movement).

Swallow is dedicated to the memory of my brother, Michael, who was an avid bird lover and who taught me to listen.

Swallow is in five movements:

Swallow (score)

Performance materials available upon request