Sonata for Viola & Piano - Jefferson Chalmers (2016)
Form: Chamber Instrumentation: viola, piano Year: 2016 Duration: 9" Premiere: not yet performed
Three-movement work commissioned by viola superstar Dmitry Murrath who will give the premiere.
Jefferson Chalmers frontispiece
Program Notes
I first met violist Dmitry Murrath in Bellingham, Washington. He was performing Bloch with the Whatcom Symphony and I was in town for the premiere of my orchestral work, Hitherto. I was immediately bowled over by his artistry and this work is a result of that commission.
The subtitle refers to the east side Detroit neighborhood where my mother grew up and where my grandparents raised five kids a few blocks from the Detroit River. Amazingly, their house still stands, among dozens of vacant lots and the refuse of once-thriving neighborhood. Down Jefferson, a revitalized downtown hums. Across the river, Canada.
The piece is dedicated to Dmitry Murrath and to my mother, Eileen Hickey.