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Solo
2021
Violin
- Program Notes
- Alpenglow started as an idea to write a sort of fantasy piece for four violins and I’d also been wanting to write a piece about the beauty in nature. I came across the term Alpenglow from the High Mountain Institute’s alumni newsletter (Leadville, CO); it means the pink-reddish glow on the summits of mountains seen near sunrise or sunset. I’d witnessed this myself on a high school backpacking expedition in the Sawatch Range outside of Leadville. It was beautiful, and Alpenglow perfectly captures in a romantic way what I wanted the music to be about. Color, light, texture, nature. Alpenglow I (2021) is the solo violin version, created so I could put down my musical ideas and start working them out. Stylistically, it combines my love for Vivaldi’s multi-violin concertos along with more contemporary music by Kaija Saariaho, Andrew Norman, and Steve Reich. The piece plays out as if the violinist were walking through snowy mountains playing a fantasy, interpreting what they are seeing and feeling. Brisk air, sharp colorful light, pine and fir trees, expansive views, and a general openness. And this music would be echoing through the landscape around them.
- Recording Notes
- Recorded at the culmination of Nick Photinos' 1:2:1 workshop in May 2021.
- Performer Credits
- Hsiu-Ping Patrick Wu
- External Links