Duo (2009)
For violin and piano, 8’, in two movements
Commissioned by the Colorado State Music Teachers Association
Duo – Movement 1
Duo – Movement 2
Lauren Cauley Kalal, Violin; Steve Beck, Piano
Creative Musicians Retreat 2018
The Walden School
About the Music
At once both traditional and transgressive, the movements of Duo skirt the edges of standard musical forms. The sonata-inspired first movement introduces a slow, tragic scene but soon moves on to a frantic and detached first theme. That theme soon gives way to a more legato second theme, which then splinters into multiple contrasting parts, the last of which cadences in a kind of unsettled closing theme. A development section explores the existing material in the movement, settling on first theme materials. Even while the first theme is reinvoked, however, it continues to develop, finally leading back into familiar but changed second theme materials to close out the movement. The spare second movement begins as variations over a ground (ostinato) bass. That ground eventually splits open, allowing solemn extensions and interruptions to emerge. Duo is dedicated to the Colorado State Music Teachers Association. Rebekah Durham, violinist, and Nan Shannon, pianist, premiered the work in June 2009 in Northglenn, Colorado.
 Score Sample |
Printed Score and Parts – $20.00 | |
| Digital Edition PDFs – $10.00 |