Duet No. 2 for Viola and Double Bass
Michael Hopkins
About this work:
This piece opens with a tonally obscure dialog between the viola and the bass. This leads into a polytonal section featuring harmonics in both instruments that is rhythmically syncopated, with a folky, fiddle-like quality. A return to the dialog of the opening leads to a resting moment, followed by a pizzicato section.
The piece continues to alternate between the melancholy dialog sections, and the faster syncopated fiddle-like sections. Each time a section returns it is infused with more energy, and the piece builds to a frenzied climax.
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 00:08:32
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Viola, 1 Double bass