1997
Title: Quaternion
Instrumentation: String Quartet
Year: 1997
Duration: 8 min.
Premiere: San Francisco, USA 1997
Performers: Onyx Quartet
A quaternion is a mathematical way of representing a four-dimensional rotation in a three-dimensional space. Quaternion for string quartet uses abstract algebra – principally the properties of symmetry (inversion, transposition, retrograde) – to determine musical structures in which the instrumental actions of four performers are slowly rotated throughout the piece. The quaternion rotation is a means of cycling three-dimensional vectors, as determined by pitch, rhythm, and mode of attack, among four performers, each occupying a unique position within the traditional string quartet hierarchy.