Written in the fall of 2009, this piece for viola, ‘cello, and piano was inspired by the moment when one rests on the edge of sleep—that moment of being half-conscious, half-asleep—before drifting into slumber. Compositionally, the pieceʼs structure revolves around a simply idea in the strings that is present throughout. Beginning on the same pitch, the strings glissando away from the pitch chromatically in opposite directions: the viola ascending, and the ʻcello descending. Each glissando figure is drawn out longer than the last. Meanwhile, the piano part enters with quasi-minimalist / Ravelian figures in counterpoint to the strings. The piano partʼs harmony throughout the composition is determined by each chromatic change in the strings. As the piece progresses, the piano eventually fades as the stringsʼ glissando figures become double stopped and eventually fade away.
Performed by Kristín Þóra Haraldsdóttir, Aniela Perry, and Joshua Foy. Engineered by Steve Rusch.
To request a PDF or printed copy of the score and/or the recording, please email me at paulfrasermusic@gmail.com
