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Instrumental Music



“Five Pieces for Violin and Piano”



BRIEF DESCRIPTION:  A set of five stand-alone programmatic pieces for violin and piano, which can also be performed together as a set. (See the "PROGRAM NOTES" tab below for more details about the piece.)

SOUND CLIPS & SCORE SAMPLES:
♦  1. The Dream  (duration: 4:00)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  2. Nighttime Storm  (duration: 3:25)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  3. The Bonds of Love  (duration: 3:35)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  4. Agitation  (duration: 3:25)  /  SCORE SAMPLE
♦  5. Tranquility  (duration: 2:50)  /  SCORE SAMPLE

TOTAL DURATION:  17:00 (for the set)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:  This piece was written for professional players.

PRICE:  $40 for a pdf of all 5 pieces in the set

DEDICATION:  To Katya Moeller (vn.) and Dr. Ksenia Nosikova (pno.)



PROGRAM NOTES

This work contains a set of five loosely programmatic pieces. The set has a sense of overall unity (especially the pairs of pieces 1 and 2, and of pieces 4 and 5), and should ideally be played together. However, each piece can certainly be played independently of the others. The set includes these five pieces:  “The Dream,” “Nighttime Storm,” “The Bonds of Love,” “Agitation,” and “Tranquility.”

1.)  The first piece, “The Dream,” is gently flowing and introspective. There’s a subtle contrast between the first section (m.1-33) and the slightly more forward-moving second section (m.35-94); the original theme then returns briefly near the end of the piece, starting in the pickup to m.95. Beginning with the pickup to m.103, the music becomes even more subdued and gently fades away into deeper slumbers, ending at last in a supremely restful state in the last five measures.

2.)  This sweet dream, however, is suddenly interrupted by the second piece, “Nighttime Storm.” A raging storm appears out of nowhere, and threatens to thoroughly disrupt the gentle dreams, but as we discover, the sleeper is determined to ignore the storm and fall back asleep! Thus, this piece contains many juxtapositions between turbulance and serenity. Examples of the serene passages amid the tempest are:  m.9-14, m.21-37, and m.49-58. Finally, starting in m.65, the storm subdues and the sleeper is lulled back into soothing dreams, as the music recalls the opening theme of the first piece.

3.)  The third piece, “The Bonds of Love,” is an emotionally intense celebration of the strong and loving bond between mother and child. There are two contrasting sections, each showing a different aspect of this love. The first section (in D major) represents the tender warmth,  gentleness, and security of this love. The second section (in b minor) depicts the more emotionally intense depths of the love they share. The piece ends with a shortened return to the gentle section. I dedicated this piece to my wonderful, loving mother, Ethel Bloesch.

4.)  The fourth piece is called “Agitation,” and is in the form of prelude and fugue. This piece is an abstract depiction of the chaos, commotion, and turbulence that we all experience in our lives from time to time. The strict fugue employs several fugal methods, including inversion (starting in m.49) and stretto (starting in m.58).

5.)  In sharp contrast to the previous piece, the fifth piece, “Tranquility,” provides us with a welcome sense of stillness and peace. This piece proceeds slowly and calmly, resembling a prayer. This prayer-like feeling is reinforced in the last two measures of the piece by chords that are reminiscent of the plagal “Amen” cadences often found in hymns.