Having your latest Quartet sandwiched on a program between Mozart and Brahms is not necessarily an enviable position. But last night that�s what happened to Jefferson Friedman as the Chiara String Quartet premiered his Third. While his language has some settling down to do, Friedman�s Quartet contained some breathtaking passages and made a serious impact.

The Quartet�s short outer movements bracket a much longer middle movement entitled "Act." Both open with long, dense, gradually swelling sonorities. But whereas the first movement bursts forth into jagged ostinatos, the third movement maintains a murmuring quiet, eventually settling on a major triad that rolls gently beneath a high melody in the first violin.

The content of the middle movement is more varied. Ranging from close Ligeti-like chromatic counterpoint to spacious Copland-esque chorales, "Act" doesn�t quite reconcile its contrasting materials satisfactorily. (Particularly disappointing is the easy major resolution that concludes the movement.) But, about two-thirds of the way through, something special happens: the instruments climb into their highest registers, start playing quick glissandos and unisons of varying vibrato widths, and, for a few breathless moments, break into birdsong. When the music returns to Earth again, the resolution is beautiful, and one realizes one has just heard something a little amazing.

Friedman�s Third Quartet is uneven. The first movement never quite emerges; there are passages of ostinato that feel like un-melodied accompaniments; there are too many broad crescendos that terminate in sudden pianos. But, if this work is any indication, Friedman goes a lot further toward sustaining interest and tension than many composers twice his age (and with Pulitzer prizes). One looks forward to hearing more.