performed by the Arditti Quartet
Quartet More & More is modeled on the contours, densities and sectional proportions of Missa “De Plus en Plus” by Johannes Ockeghem (c.1420-1497), itself based on a tune by Gilles Binchois (c.1400-1460). Potter gathers elements from dense polyphony to cantilena to tutti accented found objects, as Christian Knatz of Echo Online describes, ‘to attain the unknown through the familiar.’ Each section carries an ethically charged heading in the score, from ‘holy’ and ‘good’ to ‘absurd’ and ‘socially disreputable yet intriguing’, marking an enigmatic progression. As the piece moves on, the sections get shorter and shorter, following the traditional Japanese structure, jo-ha-kyu.
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