I attended multiple concerts during MaerzMusik 2026. The second concert I attended was the world premiere of Ellen Fullman's Energy Archive 4 for Long String Instrument and String Quartet, the latter being performed by my favourite string quartet that specialises in contemporary classical music, the Jack Quartet.
Energy Archive 4 is a world-premiere collaboration between Ellen Fullman, an instrument builder and composer, and the Jack Quartet. The centerpiece is Fullman’s self-designed Long String Instrument, which consists of dozens of metallic strings stretching over 20 meters across the performance space. Fullman "bows" the instrument by walking through it, rubbing the strings with rosin-coated fingers. This longitudinal vibration produces a massive, organ-like sound rich in upper partials and overtones. The work is grounded in Just Intonation, a tuning system based on whole-number mathematical ratios rather than the standard Western "equal temperament". The Jack Quartet integrates into this sonic environment by playing with "near-perfect intonation" and no vibrato, essentially acting as additional "human" resonators that modulate and embellish the Long String Instrument's overtones.
Now, I thought I would like this piece immensely. After all, I have a deep appreciation for contemporary classical music—particularly works that explore acoustic physics, spatial resonance, and complex harmonic structures. So from an acoustic perspective, I thought that this piece was fascinating. I would place it as somewhere between Minimalism and Spectralism. I definitely liked the focus on the raw, often unpredictable physics of vibration. Not to mention that the Jack Quartet was also playing, which is a group I have lots of admiration for.
However, I wished there was more dynamicity in the music. It was 60 minutes long, and it didn't vary too much. It felt more like a very intellectual ambient music. And for that, I felt like I would be content with just 20 minutes of it, not 60 minutes. If it were a full hour, I wished there were more things one can do with the instrument, instead of just producing a slowly-evolving tone.
In any case, it was still an enjoyable concert, as it pushes the boundaries on what music could sound like. I may not be too enthusiastic about this one, but still it was a worthy topic of discussion, and it makes me think even after the event has ended.
