Sonata for Solo Violin (2005)
Duration: 22 min.
Dedication: for David Fulmer
Commission: Commissioned for David Fulmer
Publisher: Musik Fabrik
Sonata for Solo Violin (2005) was composed for and is dedicated to David Fulmer. It is in two movements.
The first movement, Logos, was inspired by a paradoxical contrast present at Cisco Beach on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, USA. On one side of the sandy beach are the powerful pounding waves of the unbounded Atlantic ocean. On the other side sits one of Nantucket’s most tranquil freshwater ponds. Within one field of vision exists this contrast.
It is a lyrical movement which contrasts slow melodic gestures with very fast running passages. The outer two sections explore the development of a series of melodic cells that are unfolded at the start of the work. The middle section features a long-breathed lyrical melody with lower register decorations and interruptions.
The second movement, Synodos, is a journey. The Greek title is built from the Greek words for “with” [sun] and “road/way” [hodos] and refers to a fellow traveller on a journey. It is a personal journey, between performer and violin.
It is mystical in conception with two extended slow sections framing a dramatic and jagged one in the center. The musical material and gestures are gradually transformed over time—as periods of motion are contrasted with periods of extreme stillness and resonant inactivity.
A resonant acoustic is preferred for a performance of the work.