For violin and piano (2007) – 18 minutes
Commissioned by: Violinist Ariana Kim
World Premiere:
Middle movement by Ariana Kim, violin, and Samuel Armstrong, piano, October 2007, Paul Hall, The Juilliard School.
Full work by Curtis Macomber, violin, and Blair McMillen, piano, Symphony Space, New York, NY

LISTEN

Curtis Macomber, violin; Blair McMillen, piano

I. black and white lines (and sometimes orange and light blue) on a field of white
II. blue and red patches on a field of green
III. technicolor geometric shapes on a field of royal stewart plaid

PROGRAM NOTE

My teacher John Corigliano taught me to visualize my music in detail before I even settled on any notes, so that I’d know why I was writing them first. The titles of the individual movements of my Sonata for Violin and Piano reflect the way they each represented themselves to me in my mind’s eye. These color contrasts of each told me much about the notes I wanted. The three different color patterns of the overall work, if they were an outfit, would clash pretty terribly. But sometimes clashing patterns can be so bad they’re good. You have to wear it like you mean it. Instead of fast-slow-fast, I’ve tried to make ferocious, glacial, calamitous.

Price: $45
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