Listening To Good Music: The String Quartet (1955)
1955 · Short film · 13 min
Synopsis
The members of the Fine Arts Quartet illustrate the basic musical nature of the string quartet. The range and distinctive tone quality of each instrument are demonstrated. The four voices combine to show how they can create many moods and develop a theme. Each instrument of the quartet is shown in close-up and its maker identified.
Uploader's description on archive.org
Details
- Running time
- 13 minutes
- Collection
- Ephemeral Films
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★★ · How Did I Miss This Gem? · JayKay49 · 2016-12-03
As a prima violist (and I love that instrument with its rich deep tonal color) I recall taking up that instrument as a result of a junior high school assembly where the new strings teacher (a true virtuoso violinist but could play them all) essentially went through all the explanatory stuff of this movie. I'd say a good two dozen kids signed up as a result. Totally unexpected, the viola came to me (at age 12) like I was born playing it. I'd a never expected that. Playing in the orchestra was great fun. That string instrument is so adaptive to your personal interpretation. Bowing (as you see)…
★★★★ · Bring the bass back · Spuzz · 2016-09-06
In a movie that could have been dull, but actually wasn't, we explore the instruments in a string quartet. Here we have some violins and a bass. The narrator explains what each musicians roles are in the quartet and how they participate in the music. Rather boring object but I was actually captivated by it.