Derek Bermel (1967-Present)

Introduction
Bermel is an American composer, clarinetist, and conductor who was born in New York City in 1967. His pieces combine concepts of world music, funk, jazz, and classical music.

Work Analysis
I chose to analyze Intonations by Bermel. This piece is a string quartet that is written in three movements. It is extremely jazzy with its swing style and pizzacato cello acting as a bass. This is expected because Bermel is a huge fan of jazz music and has incorporated that style into his works and has combined many different styles. Rhythmically, this piece revolves around a swing style and the harmonies are very jazz-like.

Comparisons
Its almost as if classical just turned into jazz. It seems like a bridge between the two even though this piece came out years after jazz and classical music started. It reminds me of something I would hear in a cartoon from the 1940s-50s (i.e. Tom and Jerry).

Observations
I am a massive fan of this piece. It started off as just a standard string quartet for me and I didn't really know what to think. But then it began to swing and I found myself tapping my foot to it. I really enjoyed the combination of styles by adding a jazz feel to a string quartet. It seems so simple to think about, but I have never really thought about doing it myself.