Work
diffracted terrains: duo ii
for violin, french horn and piano resonance
About
This is the fourth of the series of pieces 'diffracted terrains' in which I explore symmetry and asymmetry in the structural, timbral and spatial dimensions. The first was composed in 2005 for bass clarinet and double bass followed by 'DT Remix' for bass clarinet and live electronics and 'DT5' for quintet. My uncharacteristic choice here to present discrete movements instead of a single span reflects the exploratory ground that such an asymmetrical and as yet 'unheard' pairing as horn and violin without piano represents. The presence of the piano, in movements iii and iv, as a passively resonating body is one of the several ways in which I attempt to draw resonance from this timbral combination, while it symbolically restores the 'balance' of the 'horn trio'. The piece was composed for the Australian horn player Darryl Poulsen and the English violinist Peter Cropper. It has been heard in Sheffield, Bristol and Surrey as part of the 'Crossing Continents' tour.