SYNTHESIS:
THE STRING QUARTET SESSIONS
RECORDING
“One of the finest, most important recorded projects of 2024.”
“Truesdell’s project can be understood as the highest achievement to date within the string renaissance in jazz. But the 17 pieces here are not entirely jazz. They are certainly not entirely in the classical, or contemporary, or world music domains. They draw upon all of the above and point toward a new genre. What to call it? For now, call it Synthesis. ★★★★1/2”
ABOUT
The string quartet is a polysemantic entity encompassing both an instrumentation, genre, and musical form, and since the time of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), has become immortalized as one of the true tests of a musician’s mastery of the compositional art. Without the cover of a large orchestra to mask any imperfections, a string quartet requires that the composer synthesize the core elements in music (melody, harmony, and rhythm) with just four equal voices – two violins, viola, and cello. This lack of sonic camouflage is just one of the reasons the string quartet has served as a compositional rite of passage for almost 250 years, and continues to be an ideal vehicle for developing the breadth of a composer’s skill.
