Writing a contemporary piece of chamber music is inevitably a blending of elements of classical tradition with modern sensibilities. Crafting a composition for just two strings, the violin and cello, is bound to be stripped down in terms of timbre and structure yet it’s hard to deny the expressive power of these instruments.

In this intimate setting, the composer must navigate the rich tapestry of possibilities of the two versatile instruments. The limitations of this particular string duo serve as both a challenge and an opportunity, compelling the composer to distill their musical ideas into their purest essence. Among the opportunities you can also count in that the present repertoire is relatively sparse.

I’m always reluctant to force an interpretation on the listeners and performers, but maybe a few words about each piece can be helpful.

The very opening of the First piece introduces the listener to a familiar polyphonic structure where the violin and the cello essentially delivers a brief crab canon. They also introduce some tone material which later will reoccur. After this short passage the music becomes more homophonic consisting of short alternating patterns which are also repeated, including some very short interludes which are not repeated.

The second piece contrasts the first with something softer and calmer which in turn is interrupted by something more unsettling in the middle.

The third piece uses similar material throughout. The two instruments are engaged in a dialogue that is solistic with frequent use of multiple stops yet the interplay is seemingly complementary.

With the fourth piece, the interplay has deepend several degrees and the violin and the cello occupy occasionally the same time and space while still establishing a friendly coexistence.

The final piece, return to the more hectic tempo of the first piece. In regards to the form it could be seen as a rondo with a principal theme that is repeated alternating with different contrasting episodes.

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