“Evening at the Window”

op. 75, 2017/18

I. a rooster in the sky
II. the yellow moon
III. smoke from the chimney
IV. the yellow Moon
V. in your arms
VI. the yellow MOON

For viola solo
Duration: 10 min.

Commissioned by the ARD Music Competition 2018, funded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation
World premiere: 14 September 2018, Prinzregententheater, Munich. Viola: Aoi Murase, Yusheng Chi, En-Chi Cheng, Takehiro Konoe, Diyang Mei, Hwayoon Lee.

Publisher: Universal Edition

Composer’s notes

Marc Chagall’s painting “Evening at the Window” has accompanied me for many years. I admire it not only for its colour combinations, but also for the placement and presentation of the objects and the subtle meaning of his subjets. The composition reflects the closer inspection of the parts of the painting and combines them into a connective mode. Thus, the six pieces can be understood as miniatures of a greater picture, connected by breaks that keep the intensity.

While the pieces I. a rooster in the sky, III. smoke from the chimney and V. in your arms present different musical points of views, they are connected by the pieces II. the yellow moon, IV. the yellow Moon and VI. the yellow MOON, which appear like a refrain, each with a different timbre. The recurring commas define the musical and dramaturgical bow and should not be interpreted as a longer break. Throughout the piece, the pizzicati in the left hand should be treated as though they were played by the right hand, thus with full sound.

Piece I. a rooster in the sky is formed by a strong connection between melody and rhythm. The bells part has its own dramaturgic line and should be interpreted having equal rights like the viola. The aim is to create a complex rhythmic acoustic colour. The pieces II. the yellow moon, IV. the yellow Moon and VI. the yellow MOON should be performed with three different interpretations. The quasi-refrain will be recognisable three times in different acoustic colours, but still being transformed. Piece III. smoke from the chimney begins and ends like a lullaby. While the exciting middle part with its three rhythmic instructions should be clearly articulated, it creates a contrast to the beginning and end. The time changes within piece V. in your arms serve the flow of the whole piece, regardless of the hesitant phrases. It is important to avoid the conventional accentuation on the first beats.

Press reviews

“When violists ring the bell…” – Interview with Konstantia Gourzi

pizzicato, 13 September 2018

Audio sample

Score