The impetus for "Esercizio" came from Domenico Scarlatti's influential 18th century keyboard works, "Sonata e Esercizi," or "Sonatas and Exercises." I had wanted to compose a brief, encore-type work for string quartet and used Scarlatti's works as inspiration for the process of composing a short, exciting piece. As a result, "Esercizio" uses many of Scarlatti's characteristic keyboard effects, re-imagined for string quartet - virtuosity, surprising dissonances, large leaps, The piece is intended to produce a melodramatic, humorous effect, and all dynamics and expressions should therefore be exaggerated.