Christian Dimpker
N. 20 String quartet II “MicrosCopy”
Duration: 10'
Instrumentation details:
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
N. 20 String quartet II “MicrosCopy”
Translation, reprints and more
Christian Dimpker
N. 20 Streichquartett II „MikrosKopie“
Available digitally
Type: Dirigierpartitur
Christian Dimpker
Viola (N. 20 Streichquartett II „MikrosKopie“ )
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Christian Dimpker
Violine I (N. 20 Streichquartett II „MikrosKopie“ )
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Christian Dimpker
Violine II (N. 20 Streichquartett II „MikrosKopie“ )
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Christian Dimpker
Violoncello (N. 20 Streichquartett II „MikrosKopie“ )
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Sample pages
Work introduction
The title of the piece is derived from the (microscopic) recording of very subtle sounds and their playback through speakers. Additionally, copy techniques were used. For instance, the beginning of the piece, or rather its rhythm, is derived from Webern’s 5 movements for string quartet, op. 5. Other than in my String Quartet I, simple time signatures are employed in this work. Additionally, MicrosCopy is a lot noisier, as tones can barely be perceived. Moreover, four stereo microphones are placed around the concert hall. By doing so, the sounds of the environment are transmitted to the concert hall in real-time after being transformed electronically. In this way, the present landscape (or, respectively, the sounds produced there) become/s part of the piece. This uncontrollable counterpoint culminates in the final movement as it comes to fore and the different recordings are interwoven by means of diminuendi and crescendi.
What is necessary to perform this work?
As can be seen on p. V, four cardioid microphones (ossia: via contact microphones or supported by these) as well as eight omnidirectional microphones (four of them hydrophones) are needed. Environmental sounds are supposed to be recorded during the performance and broadcast to the concert hall: inside the closest river (with a depth of at least five metres), inside the closest lake (with a depth of at least eight metres), in the closest large-scale park (no/barely traffic noises audible) and on a close-by higher building (at least 13, maximum 20 storeys). If live broadcasting is not an option, the environment may be recorded briefly before the performance. These recordings should then be handled in the same way as live recordings. Additionally, eight loudspeakers (linear frequency response) are needed. Their disposal and the circuit plan are outlined on p. V. The individual recordings are also processed in the following way:
River: 1. flanging-effect (13 ms, 75 % feedback, 4 Hz sine-LFO 30/70 % dry/wet ratio), 2. stereo delay (100 ms delay medium wide left, 150 ms delay medium wide right, both 55 % feedback), 3. convolution reverb (big church, ca. 2.5 sec., 0 ms pre-delay). Lake: 1. distortion (field effect transistor, 18 dB), 2. chorus (10 ms, 15 Hz sine-LFO, 50 % feedback, 75/25 % dry/wet ratio), 3. convolution reverb (concert hall, ca. 1.8 sec., 6 ms pre-delay). Park: 1. EQ (low shelf with 30 Hz cut-off frequency, – 12 dB gain, Q = 0, ordinal number n = 3; parametric with 320 Hz cut-off frequency, 8 dB gain, 250 Hz bandwidth, ordinal number n = 2; parametric with 1 kHz cut-off frequency, – 10 dB gain, 400 Hz bandwidth, ordinal number n = 2; high shelf with 6 kHz cut-off frequency, 8 dB Gain, Q = 5, ordinal number n = 3), 2. stereo delay (32 ms delay wide left, 48 ms delay wide right, both 55 % feedback). Highrise: pitch shift (linear predictive coding, – 880 Hz). Additionally, for all recordings + 1 is valid (see p. V).
In order to realise the live electronic elements, the study score is needed.
The parts of violin 1 & 2 as well as viola & violoncello are combined in one score each.