Trittico

"Trittico" (Triptych in English): a piece of art made of three paintings connected to each other.

This piece is the exploration of the Viola poliphonic possibilities with the use of a simple theme and three different techniques: double stops, tone colours and rhythm.

Connecting every movement is the dialogue of many voices discussing the theme, expressed in different ways but using the same armonic material, thus binding them all togheter.

The first movement opens with an instrumental chorale, where double stops form first an echo response and then a whole counterpoint over the simple ascending theme. After a short fermata the rhythm picks up movement and the two voices intertwine between each other with more and more fire. Following the climax the slower initial tempo returns, as does the chorale which continues with a series of expressive rubato chords and a finale where the pizzicato, as a lone bell, accompanies the last high arpeggio, vanishing above the low C below.

The second movement is a small but detailed picture with all the different colors of the Viola. The initial theme gains more breathing space, letting every note shine under the many different lights cast upon them. The movement ends this simple scene fading in a whisper of high notes, like a feather carried away by a sudden gust of wind.

The third movement is again a moto perpetuo like the first one but with more fire, starting almost as a crackling of embers coming out of the darkness following the end of the last movement. The music keeps surging forward and receding, with different waves of intensity, untill after a last grandioso with broken arpeggios a sudden piano starts the last great crescendo, climaxing in a shrill cry and finally dying in a ppp harmonic.