Evening at the Window

Evening at the Window - six Views for viola solo. Inspired by the painting of the same title by Marc Chagall

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

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.