String Quartet No. 2, “Road to Hana” (2018)

For string quartet
Duration: 5 minutes
Commissioned for Del Sol Quartet by Hesam Abedini (UC Irvine)

Program Note:

Road to Hana is an extensive exploration of the percussive nature of the string quartet. It begins with a highly rhythmic and angular motive, conjuring a ritualistic atmosphere, leading to a middle section with evocative harmonies and long melodic lines suggesting improvisatory fiddle music. The middle section is interrupted by a short return of the opening music, bringing the piece to an end as the wild and angular gestures dissolve into soft tapping of pitches on the fingerboard without use of the bow. 

The title was taken from the circuitous and lush stretch of Hawaiian roads which connects Kahului to the town of Hana in eastern Maui, mirroring the breathtaking variety of landscapes around every corner of the drive to the shimmering, dramatic turns of the music.