James Dillon: string quartets as a complex causal network

James Dillon's compositions usually invoke extra-musical stimuli from wide-ranging areas such as philosophy, mythology, science and literature. The key 'genre' of music which retains a traditional and prosaic title is the string quartet, which in his output has acted as a reflective and focussed diary often commenting on his other larger works. This article explores the first six quartets and their relation to his other music as well as their own internal logic(s) and structures.