String Quartets – Disharmony and dischord

A string quartet is a lot like a family. Afterall, it’s basis is combining the entire string family of instruments in one group – if you assume that the double bass is the rather strange uncle that nobody invites to family get-togethers. The players too, each assuming a role to make sure the family household runs well; the 1st violinist as the organised mother; the 2nd violin as the loving daughter emulating her every move; the viola is the youngest sibling struggling to get a sense of his or her own identity; and the fatherly cello, there to provide support in moments of need, do all the shouting and the heavy lifting. Maybe I’m taking the metaphor a little too far, but it is easy to see that if one member of the family isn’t pulling their weight, or is acting out of turn, then the whole thing starts to wobble.

Unfortunately not everyone in our quartet felt the same way, and something had to be done. It wasn’t a sudden decision, the dischord amongst us had been well hidden under the suface for some time, but today we parted company with one of our members. Despite the constant, burning desire to push the quartet further, to achieve greater and newer things, it was still sad when it happened. It was like a death in the string quartet family. It came with sadness, and despite the fact we knew it had happened slowly, with a long period of declining health, it was still a shock when it finally happened.

But then this family metaphor thing works on 2 levels. Yes one of our family has departed, but there will be a new sibling. Someone who will have their own unique voice and personality. Someone who will bring new qualities and characteristics which will rub-off on us all, and yet whom we will watch as they grow and develop into something new. We’ll be able to have conversations on topics we talked about a hundred times before, but now there’ll be new takes and ideas on them.

It will be exciting.
It will be refreshing.
It will be inspiring.

To cheer myself up I’ve been reading a blog by a violinist, logging the goings-on of her own quartet. Although it’s not been updated for some time, it’s still a very funny read. I suggest you go visit it here.

“What’s the difference between a chain saw and a viola?
If you absolutely had to, you could use a chain saw in a string quartet.”