for solo violin and symphony orchestra
commissioned by the Katherine A. Abelson Fund of the Lester Abelson Foundation
In ancient Greece a “rhapsod” was a singer of epic poems and bits and pieces of tales strung together making a collage of entertainment. I have, in a like manner, allowed a simple line of melody, first introduced by the violin, to speak a musical tale. The violin, full of the exuberance and energy of youth, threads through the story’s themes and shadow themes, weaving a mosaic of sound through each episode. Shadow themes are melodies that are acoustically derived from one another like shadows. At first these themes perform supportive roles, but as the story moves forward, they gain in dominance of pitch and dynamic. Sometimes running ahead of a passage, making aggressive commentary, and sometimes aligning with the emotional expression of the phrase, the violin shifts between a mere exercise of notes to a noble exploration of broadening lyricism. William Neil
Audio from the premiere
Rhapsody for Violin
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