CHAMBER MUSIC
duet 1 Viola, 1 Piano

Duration: ca. 7 minutes
Composed: 2024

Programme Note:
I was asked by Elvira Misbakhova to write a piece about hope. Hope, as it turns out, is complicated. In Greek mythology, Hope is one of the elements in Pandora’s Box. When Pandora tries to close the box, she has let out 7 evils: Greed, Envy, Hatred, Pain, Disease, Hunger, and Death. What remains trapped in the box is Hope. So, if Hope is in a container with evils, is it a gift or a curse. This is what I tried to explore in this piece. It beings with solo viola, vulnerable and questioning. As the piece develops, it becomes stronger and more intense. It drives relentlessly to an enigmatic ending.

The piece was commissioned through Chamber Factory, Toronto.

First performance by Ryan Davis, February, 2025.