| Sumario: | In this article I will present some of the underlying theoretical and aesthetic aspects in Julio Estrada's string quartets. While the first quartet aims to reassess the harmonic and contrapuntal relationships present in the tonal system through an original approach to finite-group theory, the second quartet comprises a total renewal of Estrada's compositional method that detaches itself from previous, established compositional systems to conceive sound in a more sculptural way. To attain his ideal, Estrada proposes to record the movements and evolution of the sonic (or any perceived or imagined) substance in a graphical way, obtaining different information as its trajectory is observed from different angles. All of the information provided by the graphical recordings is assigned to musical components and converted into an extremely detailed musical score. Although these two quartets synthesise two different stages in Estrada's work, marked respectively by his approach to discontinuum and continuum in music, they share some basic principles inspired by finite-group theory. In particular, the aspects of the compositional method proposed in his second quartet will be discussed with sketches provided by the composer.
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