Significant Others (1994)

For viola and bass, or, violin and ‘cello. Challenging; order here. In 4 programmatic movements (the violin/viola part is female, the ‘cello/bass part is a male jazz player): Written as a wedding present for friends, the sounds and the content invite the use of appropriate facial expressions and body language in performance. Awarded Honorable Mention in the 1997 International Society of Bassists Composition Contest. $15, including score, parts, recording; be sure to specify which version you’d like. Excerpts below are from the violin/’cello version.

I. Come Here Often?  Two people meet, one a jazz player, the other not.  They size each other up warily, and are alternately attracted and repelled.  Gradually, they each open up and try to speak in tones the other will appreciate.  They make a sort of truce, but their last gestures reassert their differences and independence. About 3:20.

II. Marche Hormonale.  Self-explanatory.  The apparent dignity of the march is an illusion, as the relationship moves inexorably forward in a cloud of pheromones. About 2:50.

III. Potatoes and Potahtoes.  Like the couple in the Broadway song, they lock horns over their differences and consider calling the whole thing off.  Important themes presented by each individual in the 1st movement are brought back for further discussion.  By the end, the themes merge into a sort of compromise of harmony and rhythm. About 3:35.

IV. Bliss.  After a brief reminiscence on their condition when they first met, the lovers relax in the comfort of their hard-won mutual acceptance and affection.  The motivic unison first achieved at the end of the 3rd movement is renewed in consonant intervals and serves as the basis of their completed relationship.  Their individual motives make occasional reappearances, as well as some fresh ideas that arise from the new texture. About 3:30.