Allan Blank Exhibition String Quartet 1998 No. 1

Allan Blank and the Creative Process
DIEHN COMPOSERS ROOM, OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY, April 26-May 31, 2001

String Quartet: 1998, No.1 [premiere]

Vahn Armstrong, violin
Jessica Wakefield, violin
Beverly Baker, viola
Michael Daniels, violoncello

Allan Blank completed two String Quartets in 1998. Prior to that date, he had completed a String Quartet in 1958.

A decade before this String Quartet was completed, Allan Blank's notebooks reflect an interest in producing a String Quartet in one movement, and he began to collect ideas. The ideas continued to develop and grow, and, although his notebooks from the years immediately preceding the completion of this String Quartet are not yet available, samples from the notebook for the years 1987-1988 reveal much about Allan Blank's methods and considerations.

July 1, 1987: "Thinking about a work for String Quartet. One Movement. The unfolding of multiple lines --all rhythms within a lyrical context. But what is a 'modern' lyrical attitude that might be fresh and not eminescent of past lyrical attitudes? At the same time I want a virtuoso flare to it--certainly in sections. But I do not want a sectional work as such. I want something that seems seemless. The growth and interaction of lines. The moments when they come together might continue to explore heterophonic situations I've thought about before. --Within the multiple line approach one part can 'relax' by heterophonic imitation of another part. This can work as: 3 + 1 // 2 + 2 // 1 + 3. (In each case the second number is the heterophonic image of the first number of parts.) Also: the range of the materials (expressively) must be great. Try to picture the kinds of linear interactions."

July 17, 1987: "Discontinued String Quartet sketch. Not satisfied ..."

However the ideas continued to percolate, and there are entries for String Quartet ideas throughout August, 1987, then in March, May, June and July of 1988. The entry for July 19, 1988 announces: "In fast mot. for St. Quartet (in one!)

"Don't lock into any 'system' too soon -- collect many more examples of the kinds of things that have interest for you!"

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