Description

Detail from Saint Augustine was composed in July 1985 for Rodney Slatford and his Mini-Bass Project in Britain, and was revised in 2010 by David Heyes.
…The one movement quartet offers a range of musical and technical challenges for the good intermediate quartet, abounding in magical textures and timbres. Careful attention should be paid to the range of dynamic and articulation markings.
The title is taken from a book about Gothic paintings. One illustration of St. Augustine, which also included a ‘detail of a portion of this work’ was the starting point for the quartet.
The composer uses a rich palette of colours, well suited to the range of the Double Bass, Quartet, and the melodic interest is passed from player to player. Detail from Saint Augustine is a work of great imagination, atmosphere, textures and timbres.
There is much of interest for each player, with meandering and evocative contrapuntal lines helping to create a bass quartet like no other. The contrasts of arco and pizzicato, sul tasto and harmonics, maintain interest for players and audiences alike.