Matthew H. Schwarz - String Quartet No. 2 in C minor
Matthew H. Schwarz - String Quartet No. 2 in C minor
The Kodak Quartet essentially turn themselves into a classical rock band for the recording.
Schwarz's music revives outdated classical forms and thematic concepts with modern trends in popular and metal music. His latest release, String Quartet No. 2 in C minor, is performed and recorded here by the Kodak Quartet, who bring excitement to Schwarz's heavily rhythmic music. The four movement String Quartet No. 2 is laid out exactly as one may expect in terms of a cyclical classical structure: sonata form, scherzo, slow movement, and rehashing of previous themes. What makes the piece different is Schwarz's repetitive groove and aspiration of approachability.
Clearly pulling from his past experience as a heavy metal guitarist, Schwarz writes with clear instrumental roles in mind. While at times only slightly adventurous within the realm of tonal harmony, the players are united by the established groove and basic roles (melody/lead/rhythm/bass), directly pulled from the general expectations of a band. The modern, genre-bending approach to a string quartet is well executed by Kodak. They essentially turn themselves into a classical rock band for the recording. Even more impressive is their direct engagement with the music, each taking turns playing their own, self-composed solos in the first movement.
Manipulating a classical ensemble into the format of a more popular or rock inspired one is not by any means a 'new' concept. Schwarz does an incredibly good job of creating new music which appreciates both sides of the coin while disrespecting neither. His experiment of implementing contrasting meters to replace key areas in sonata form is interesting, but does not quite give the same result. Mixed metric grooves have been all the rage for the past several years in contemporary classical music, and in fact is sometimes cited by modern guitarists as the reason for implementing them into tunes, so claiming that it is a feature of metal music fused into classical lessens the impact and is slightly misleading. As taken from his site, Schwarz's "modern classical music" is an idea which has been around for almost half a century at this point. Accessibility in contemporary classical music is still a current issue, but one ought be careful laying claims this route is the only way to achieve such and one is the sole creator of it.
All things being said, Schwarz's String Quartet is playful, fun, and an entertaining listen. While the metric groove changes are expectable, Schwarz uses them in an energetic manner so the music never becomes stale. It is an approachable work for classically trained musicians, metalheads, and a general listening audience alike. Also, the work is equally as enjoyable for the performers, an important aspect when searching for repeat performances, which Schwarz's String Quartet No. 2 certainly deserves.
Listen to String Quartet No. 2 on BandCamp here.
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