Where does the title Diptych come from?
In the history of art, a diptych was a painting or relief carving made of two parts, and in this way, the title simply describes my piece's form: it is two pieces put side by side. I find it useful to think in this way, because it's different from thinking about "movements," which follow each other and sometimes have thematic connections. My piece really is two different pieces that could stand alone; that said, there's something that hopefully emerges when they are heard one after the other, a kind of commentary or dialogue that is more than what either piece could say on its own. I think of my music as being both gestural and about motion on the one hand, but also sound and timbre on the other hand. Both pieces work with gesture and timbral change, but the first, shorter piece is more about sound and the second is more about gesture. In this way the two pieces give a glimpse of two different points on the spectrum of my musical thought. Also, I think there's something interesting about two movement forms in general: they were rare, three or four movements were much more common, and there's something about the charged polarity of two experiences set in relief without a third that I find beautiful in a tense, even unbalanced way. Beethoven Op. 111 comes to mind as a particularly poignant example.
If you could describe the piece in two words what would they be?
Longing and Ringing
How was it writing for violin/viola? Did you love it/hate/find it challenging/all of the above?
I've always loved writing for strings because they're so versatile and can basically do anything I hear in my head. I found some things surprising about writing for violin/viola. I assumed that I would miss low bass notes without a cello, for example, but realized that the experience of the low register on the C string on the viola still feels pretty "bass-y." Two double stops ringing together can feel thick, giving the perception of more than two instruments. I enjoyed getting to know these aspects of this combination.
What is your favorite snack to compose with?
Coffee! (I've also recently been into Bamba now that Trader Joe's carries it).
Fun fact you have learned recently?
Acting like a dinosaur and chasing babies around is even more fun than it sounds.
Learn more about Adam and listen to his music on his website!