American composers have long been fascinated by nature; works abound that invoke the awe-inspiring majesty of the American landscape. This piece, by contrast, considers nature on a miniature scale—think microbes rather than mountains. In Five Pieces for String Quartet, a fascination with the idiosyncrasies of small-scale form serves as the musical manifestation of this theme. The music unfolds at a hummingbird’s pace and with a mosquito’s sense of direction. Though the movements are formally unique, they are bound together by a symmetrical scheme; the work is bookended by its two longest movements while the shortest sits at the center. In performances without electronics, the second and fourth movements are omitted.