On Blue

by Joel Järventausta

for string quartet

Description

During the months of writing this quartet, I delved into painter William Turner’s (1775-1851) haunting watercolour studies. The title of my piece, On Blue, is inspired by one particularly striking experiment - Study of Sea (ca. 1820-30). It depicts a hazy, unsettled seascape, a dark blue horizon under a vast tumultuous sky. Dr Richard Johns describes the studies:

‘Turner allowed the colours to bleed in unexpected ways, creating an ephemeral effect that mimics the fluid interaction of sea and light at different times and in different weather conditions: sky and sea merge…’

The connection between the study and the quartet became clearer and clearer to me through the process of writing. Upon completion, I made the connection explicit in my title by referring to the one colour so present in the study. On Blue explores the merging of fluid soundworlds, instrumental colours, calm, tranquil moments contrasted with stormy, turbulent passages. On Blue seems all the more appropriate as the title of the piece, as it often centres around the pitch D, which - through associative synesthesia - I see as a deep blue sound.

J.Järventausta

Instrumentation

2vln, vla, vlc

Category

Chamber Works

Premiere

Kreutzer Quartet, November 24, 2020, Oxford, United Kingdom

Commisioned by / dedications

Commissioned by Kreutzer Quartet

PDF for promotional use

 Download

Archive number

MF35665

+ Add information