Gunther Schuller

Duologue For Violin And Piano

'...(Duologue) is expert stuff, written by a composer who knows what he is about. The violin writing is idiomatic, the piano wonderfully sonorous, everything sitting in the right place for the instruments. There is a bit of everything: slow, legato phrases for the violin, punctuating chords by the piano, pure sounds for each participant, and fine rhythmic figures that make an impact...'

(Ed Mattos, Washington Post)

The first movement - or piece - has an agitato midsection buttressed by outer, more sombre, chromatic and canonic portions. It contrasts vividly with the second movement, which Schuller himself describes as 'pixyish and quirky, until the final whimsical, wispy coda. ' The third movement fluctuates between lyrical and subito agitato passages until 'ending in an incantatory, finally quieting coda. ' The last movement is clearly imitative of fiddle music, as its title indicates.