Cathedral of Light (string quartet)

CATHEDRAL OF LIGHT

FOR STRING QUARTET

By Juhi Bansal

Copyright ©2020 by Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved

juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com

www.juhibansal.com

Notation All performers o

Sul tasto and sul ponticello are used heavily throughout, and abbreviated as s.p. and s.t. respectively.

Viola and Cello o

These instruments feature extended sections marked as “ord - s.p. – ord (at will)” (see example to the right). When this is marked, at your discretion move freely and seamlessly from ord to sul pont and back, bringing out the change of tone color. The speed of the change may vary, but should never be too fast.

Violin and Cello o These instruments feature glissandi as in the example to the right.

When a starting note is marked with a bracket, it should not be articulated; the slide should begin immediately when or before the bow begins to move, so that we hear a slide for the complete quarter-note duration and no clear starting-pitch. o Trills are used as an expressive extension of the melody, never simply an ornament. The marking indicates to begin the trill as a held note, and then gradually, seamlessly, flow into a trill. The rapid alternation should not be reached until almost at the end of the notated rhythmic value.

For example, in the excerpt on the right from mm 79-80, the true rapid alternation should only be reached in the final half-note of the held C# (i.e. the first half-note beat of mm 80).

Cello o The final section of the piece features the gesture below. On the indicated string, apply light pressure and slide the length of the string, freely, back and forth to create a series of natural harmonics for the marked duration. The feathered beam indicates to begin slowly, and increase the speed of the slide as you approach the end of the aleatoric arrow and the diminuendo to niente.

Cathedral of Light h = 70 - 80



Violin I

   

 

SulG

 

 



  





pp

In the background, shimmering ord - s.p. - ord (at will) Sul D

 

Viola

 

 

pp

In the background, shimmering ord - s.p. - ord (at will) Sul G

 

 

Violoncello

  

 

 





pp

Violin II

 

Juhi Bansal



  

 

 

 

  

 

 



 



 



 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



pp

7

 

  Vln. I       f

Vln. II

 

    f

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



pp

fpp ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

fpp



 

 

pp

   

    Vc.  

 

  

ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

Vla.

  

  











 

 



  





 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 









17 2

  

13

  Vln. I     

 

Vln. II

14 

 

     

f

 

pp

 



 





  

Vln. II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fpp



flautando molto s.t. (bow more frequently if needed)

 

 

  

pp

        

            3



         

       



20





   

ord. 

 

pp

                   3

3

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

Vc.

3



ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

Vla.

3

 

fpp

18

Vln. I



          



      

ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

Vc.

  

ord - s.p. - ord (at will) Vla.

 

   

 

f

 

   

 

flautando molto s.t. (bow more frequently if needed)

23

 

3 

24

  



 Vln. I          

Vln. II







Vc.





 

27

Vla.

Vc.



 

 

  

        

3

 

   



poco a poco cresc.

 



 



poco a poco cresc.

 



 

 

poco a poco cresc.

 

poco a poco cresc.





 

   ord. 



 

   3

           



28

    

       

                  

Vln. II

3

pp

 Vln. I 



3

ord. sul G

flautando, molto s.t. (bow more frequently if needed)



26

3

ord - s.p. - ord (at will) Vla.

       

flautando molto s.t.

ord. sul A

  

                



 

3

ord.

    

3

 

    

 

   flautando, molto s.t.

        

 

 



 

    (ord.)

3

       

(ord.)

  

       





4

32 espressivo

  

31

 Vln. I  

    

       

Vln. II



Vla.

        ord.

Vc.



   

Vla.

Vc.







ord.





  3

  





 

mf

  Vln. I 



Vla.

 

 

  Vc.  



 

 

 



  

mf espressivo









  

 

ff



   

 

 

 







  







  

 



 

 

   

 

 

7

7





       

 





 

 

 

5

                   5



  3

 

 





ff

 

 



   

       





   

37

Vln. II











mf ord.



34

 Vln. I   Vln. II

ff





  



 

 





      

  

 5



 

   

 39  

 7



   

        



      

 

 





 

 

40   Vln. I 



Vln. II



Vla.

Vc.





 

      

 

 





   





  Vln. I  43

     





44

 

Vla.

Vc.





 

 



Vla.

Vc.



 

  ff













   











  

 

47 

 

 







 



 







 

 





 





 



  





5

 











 



              7





     

 

 

7

 

     

 

 

 

 

       



 

 

 

5

7

   



3

5















5





  

mf

ff











46   Vln. I 

Vln. II









3

mf

Vln. II





       

 



42       

 







 

 

 



 



  

 

 









 

3

 

   









50

49   Vln. I 



Vln. II



Vla.









 

 

3

  Vc.  







Vln. I

  

Vln. II



Vla.

Vc.





5



 







   

 

 

 



Vln. II



Vla.











 







 

 









 



 

 













5

3



 







 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 





 

   















 



  





 

3



mf







3









 

 





  3



 

 

 

3









 

 

  





 

3





 







5

3













3

mf























 











ff







 



 

7

3







3

                     









5



          

 Vln. I 

 





 

       

55

Vc.







mf

52





6





 







 

5









    

58

Vln. I

   

Vln. II



Vla.

 











5











                     

5





    

 

7









 

   







    

 

 

7

7







 

   





    

 

7

 

 

 

                                Vc.  61

 Vln. I  

Vln. II



Vla.

Vc.



5

5



 

7



62







    

 

 

 

 

ff

 

   



    

   

 

    



7



   

 

 

7

  



ff

       



    

     

   



   

 



 

 

 

 



 3   3  3  3 3                     Vln. I            mf                   Vln. II                      64



    Vc.   

Vla.

     3



   

 





  3



      

     3



   

 





  3



      

     3



   









    mf



8

 

67

Vln. II

Vla.

 

 







   

 

 

 



  f



 

Vla.



 

 

 

   









   





 



 



ff

 

 



  





   

 



   



 





 

 



 

 



 

 

 







 



   















        

75







     ff



    



 





 Vln. I  

Vla.



 

ff







f

   

73



 



71

   Vc. 

Vln. II

 







fff

  Vln. I   



   

 

70







f

f

   Vc.  

Vln. II



fff





68

  Vln. I   







 







mf

5

mf



ff



  

p

   Vc.          



5

 



















p







   Vln. I   76



Vla.

Vc.

f





Vln. II







 





















    













 

 















          















5



 



























 



Vln. II

 

   

       

Vla.



Vc.

   



 



mp

     







 

 



   

     



f



 

pp

     

 



    

      

 p

 

p



mp



  

   5    





p

     

84



82

 

mp



  Vln. I 





 



p

Vc.



f

 IV        







          





p

III II I

Vla.









 







5

 

Vln. II





mf

79

Vln. I



9

   



p

  

10

85

 Vln. I  Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.

 





   

  

      

 

Vln. II

















     

   

 



 







 







 













     





pp





  ord - s.p. - ord (at will) III II 











Sul G - natural harmonic gliss. (freely slide the length of the string, finding as many harmonics as possible) 

pp

ord - s.p. - ord (at will)

Vc.









 

Solo espressivo

  

III

  pp        





              



94

Vla.







 

 pp



Vln. II

 



(brief pause on A before continuing the slide) 









Sul  C

sul pont. till end Sul  G

Vln. I

pp IV 



  





89

Vc.

     

 

Vln. I





pp

solo, espressivo

Vla.

 

 87 





pp









 n



  

Sul  G







pp

  











ord.

Sul  C



  



 



  3







       





 

 

99

Vln. I

  

Vln. II

  

Vla.

Vc.





104

Vln. I













      

 

  

7

 

 















pp

 



III 

 



II 







pp

Vc.

       



                 



Vla.





11



Sul G, natural harmonic gliss.



 

Vln. II







 

102

107

n





  



    

5

5





               

Sul G, natural harmonic gliss.







             

 





s.p. till end II I













 

12 110

111 

 























 Vln. I   

I 

II

Vln. II

Vla.

Vc.







 



 

n







 









pp















II

 





 



 



 



  

 









ppp possible

 

 

 





 



 



 

  n



Vc.





 

 

 





n

Sul A

Vla.



  II

Vln. II



 

 

  pp

115

Vln. I







   

Sul G, natural harmonic gliss.

                    

 

 n