To Francis (Elegy in 7/8)
for viola and piano
Hello all!
I’ll try to keep this quick. This was supposed to be for Darker's viola competition but I somehow read the rules wrong and didn’t realize it was for viola only. My favorite elegies for viola (Glazunov, Vieuxtemps) also have piano and I guess I just had a reading slip there. When I realized this I kind of abandoned the project but I like it and still think it’s worth publishing. It might get disqualified because of improper instrumentation, but at least it fits the prompt.
Anyway, about the composition. This piece is dedicated to my Aunt Francis who passed not too long ago. To be honest, I hadn’t known her that well and I feel guilty about not getting involved in her life more. What I do remember is that she was always kind and a treat to be around.
The piece begins and ends with a ⅞ “fate” motif on the note E. The E Minor tonality is mostly consistent throughout the work, with some exceptions of brief E Major and C minor. Dissonance is used often in the form of the minor add9 chord for some extra tension and the longing voice of the viola adding another layer of melancholy and expression. I tried to lean into the ⅞ time signature with use of odd rhythms and syncopations (yes, there are 78 measures and the first tempo is 78 bpm per 8th note). I did write a brief cadenza as practice which the audio does not do justice for, so if it is ever recorded live it will sound a lot better (hopefully).
Thanks all!
I’ll try to keep this quick. This was supposed to be for Darker's viola competition but I somehow read the rules wrong and didn’t realize it was for viola only. My favorite elegies for viola (Glazunov, Vieuxtemps) also have piano and I guess I just had a reading slip there. When I realized this I kind of abandoned the project but I like it and still think it’s worth publishing. It might get disqualified because of improper instrumentation, but at least it fits the prompt.
Anyway, about the composition. This piece is dedicated to my Aunt Francis who passed not too long ago. To be honest, I hadn’t known her that well and I feel guilty about not getting involved in her life more. What I do remember is that she was always kind and a treat to be around.
The piece begins and ends with a ⅞ “fate” motif on the note E. The E Minor tonality is mostly consistent throughout the work, with some exceptions of brief E Major and C minor. Dissonance is used often in the form of the minor add9 chord for some extra tension and the longing voice of the viola adding another layer of melancholy and expression. I tried to lean into the ⅞ time signature with use of odd rhythms and syncopations (yes, there are 78 measures and the first tempo is 78 bpm per 8th note). I did write a brief cadenza as practice which the audio does not do justice for, so if it is ever recorded live it will sound a lot better (hopefully).
Thanks all!
Published
Viola
Piano