Sundial 2021
date completed
2021
duration
15'
scored for
string quartet percussion
percussion instrumentation
vibrap., almgl., crotales
commission
Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
premiere
March 2022 in Los Angeles, CA
alternate version
for string quartet and prepared piano (forthcoming)
Program Note by Samuel Adams
Sundial, scored for string quartet and percussion, engages with the tradition of works for string quartet 'plus one'—works like W.A. Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, Franz Schubert’s Cello Quintet D956, not to mention the numerous piano quintets.
Like much of my recent music, this work explores ideas of resonance and brightness. I treat the five voices a little bit like a sustain pedal on a piano. In many passages, the strings elongate the percussion sounds and vice versa, so much so that the instruments on stage might sound like one polyphonic organism arranged not in a hierarchy but in a symbiotic web in which the roles of the instruments are balanced and consistently in flux.
The form possesses a shape similar to its namesake: the five musicians project a series of musical shadows that, unbroken, reveal the passage of time in the shape of an inverted arc. The work is made of two distinct types of music: rocking music—fast, pulsing dual harmonies that sway back and forth—and cyclic music—slightly off-kilter contrapuntal figurations that blossom over long stretches of time. Only in the final minutes of the work does the music break out of these two types of material, ascending to a ringing, intensely bright conclusion.
Although the piece is not explicitly autobiographical, I wrote it during a period that saw a number of immense personal changes, not the least of which was the birth of my first child. The almost blinding joy of having him around has been a counterbalance to the bizarre, shadowy last two years. To me, this duality is the essence of the piece: it is at once a rippling shadow and a meridian sun.
-Samuel Adams
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Repeating rhythmic ideas, echoed by pitched percussion, explore shades of light, increasing and decreasing in intensity, as if someone were moving a light dimmer up and down. Darker energies occasionally surface, with some biting dissonances, giving way to hopeful brightness.
In a program note, Adams says the string parts draw on late Renaissance and Baroque music, opting for lightness and clarity over impassioned sounds. The violins occasionally share songful duets suggesting early vocal music, which Adams also cited as an influence.
Along with percussionist George Nickson, the Baumer committed fully to every nuance, making a persuasive case for the work. Adams, who gave a helpful spoken introduction, joined the group for well-earned applause.
Dallas Morning News ↗
"Brilliant... Sundial opened with an underlying pulse in the strings which was echoed by the bright percussion. The music was highly accessible and almost tonal. It was also difficult: In order to properly highlight Adams’ exploration of resonance, the players had to allow sufficient time for the audience to absorb the reverberating acoustic effects without allowing the resonances to decay.
A more dissonant, darker section featured counterpoint between strings and percussion, as well as within the string parts themselves. Later in the piece, Adams used cello glissandi, lengthening note values, and contrasting dynamics to continuously build layers of sound. A repeating rhythmic idea in the strings began to sound almost Romantic, and when the vibraphone reentered, it functioned as an accompanying pulse underlining the strings.
For the Dallas premiere, the Baumer String Quartet was joined by DSO principal percussionist George Nickson. Throughout, all five musicians played with the precision and rhythmic vitality required for an effective performance of the piece.
Classical Voice America ↗
