I'm happy to report that I've just finished a new work for viola and sonata which will premiered by Jessica at the counter)induction's anniversary concert at Merkin Hall on 15 June.
The work is tentatively titled Deixo | Sonata. Deixo in the Greek connotes both a logical proof and a stylish display of oratory in the presentation of that proof. Jessica has several times over the years asked for a viola sonata from me, and as I settled down to work on the piece, it struck me that she was asking for a performance from me as well. To compose a piece as squarely in the tradition of sonatas for soloist and piano is to strike a balance between expectation and opportunity, between that which is constitutive and essential and that which is potential and unexpected.
I've been lucky to have this time at the Millay Colony to focus on the final stages of preparation; the grind of editing and making parts is always a drain and having a view like this, good food and interesting interlocutors helps keep ones nose to the grindstone. The next step is the most rewarding one, and the one which c)i was built to cultivate. I have been writing for Jessica for over a decade, and so I've written the work both as a summa of the techniques and approaches the Jessica and I have worked on over our time together, and as a show piece for her skill and artistry. This kind of collaboration is the goal of counter)induction, not merely a coming together for a single performance or premiere, but the commitment over the long term to cultivating the capacity for imagination and craft and performers and composers. Hopefully I've made the page-turns in reasonable spots!
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