Here we go! Now that you have met Jesse, let's all say 'hi' to Chris! He currently lives in Montreal, and we are so excited that he will be making the trek down to Greenpoint for our concert this Friday. We have been working with him via email and sending him recordings of his piece, AndChase, so it will be great to actually hear his feedback in person at the dress rehearsal! Let's see what he has to say...
Could you tell us about the title or inspiration for your piece?
In writing a duo for any instrumentation, the question must be asked: are these instruments working with each other, or against each other? Whether the instruments are identical or totally different, either approach would seem to be valid depending on how it's treated. The violin/viola pairing is, however, uniquely difficult because you have two instruments that are almost identical in make-up, but also different in profound ways - like two siblings that are in completely different weight-classes. So this piece sort of confounds the cooperative vs. antagonistic idea, featuring two instruments that are pulling in the same direction, but squabbling along the way.
What can listeners expect or listen for in your piece?
This 'chase' features the quick, agile violin and its pursuer, the slightly bulkier -yet stronger - viola. As the chase weaves its way up the register, the instruments become steadily more similar, and in the end, it's a dead heat...
What is your current snack of choice?
I enjoy a good pita chip with hummus (pine-nut or seven pepper), although I wouldn't turn down some of Hannah's vegan gingerbread cake.
What have you been listening to?
I played Steve Reich's 'The Desert Music' this past summer and I've been revisiting it recently - it was a real eye-opener for me (but I wouldn't look for traces of it in my piece!)
Check out more of Chris' compositions and performances (he is also an incredible pianist) at christophergoddard.com