COMPOSER'S NOTESThe music of these violin duos has been influenced by the centuries-long flow of traditional music from the British Isles to North America and back again. The compositions are dedicated toseveral people who are keeping that transatlantic musical flow in motion today.Sleep Sound Ida Mornin'Sleep Sound ida Mornin' is a very short duo for two violins based on a traditionaltune which I first heard in the Orkney Islands although played there on the banjo by a native of Kansas. My extended version with a slow introduction was first played in Boston on 29th January 1995 by Lesley Chen and NathanSchmidt members of the New England Conservatory's Preparatory Division during their annual weekend festival of contemporary music. This very remarkable and encouraging event was devised and organised by Rodney Lister to whomthis piece is dedicated.Duration c. 2 minutes.Atlantic DriftAn earlier even shorter version of Atlantic Drift written for violin and piano was first performed by PeterSheppard Skaerved and Aaron Schorr at the Royal Academy of Music London on 9th May 2006 in a concert to celebrate the 70th birthday of the American composer and transatlantic communicator Elliott Schwartz. The melody isoriginal though clearly influenced by the music and perpetual tides of the Hebrides. Duration c. 3 minutes.Rain and Mist are on the Mountain I'd Better Buy SomeShoesThis four-movement duo for two violins is based on a fragment of a Gaelic folk song from Barra in the Western Isles of Scotland. The title suggests that although the Gaels of yesteryear were rich inpoetic expression and the beauties of nature they were otherwise not very affluent. Rain and Mist was first performed at the Wigmore Hall London on 6th February 2005 by Corina Belcea and Laura Samuel.Duration c. 6

An impelling and moving Sonata for Two Violins by Ukranian composer Sergie Prokofiev. The four short movements are lyrical playful fantastic and violent all striking themes. The warmer style and highly effective sequence mirrors Prokofiev's condition at the time of composition: after his travels to the West away from Russia his work became increasingly more embracing rather than the confrontational and biting scores of his youth.

Duets 1 to 25 of Bartok's celebrated set for two Violins that exhibit all the hallmarks of the composer's love of Hungarian folk music. All the duets are concise and straight-forward to play making this ideal material for two confident Violin students and an excellent resource for some entertaining and thought-provoking concert repertoire. Arranged in order of progressive difficulty each melody is derived from a peasant folktune and may be performed in any order or combination.

Instrumentation : 2Vln - Pf Prelude, Gavotte, Waltz for 2 Violins & Piano Editor :Fortunatow

Gorecki Sonata for two violins composed 1961. Duration 17 minutes. Suitable for advanced players. Score format.

Grade 2-Composer's Description:Whether a student or a great artist the desire to make a beautiful sound is a constant in the life of any musician. Sound is the musician's voice the means of communicating an artistic vision to the audience and it should be the aim for children of any age or standard to be engaged in good tone production.The inspiration for writing these pieces came to me from the wish to give the young children I teach music which would develop their ear for both good intonation and beautiful tone production. All the pieces have a strongly implied harmonic structure allowing them to be played without accompaniment. The purpose of the second violinpart is therefore to enable the teacher to underline the harmony as well as to influence the student's tone production and intonation through his own sound as much can be taught by good example.Finally I think that children enjoy the challenge of expressing different moods and emotions musically and I hope that the range of ideas implied by the keys and the titles of these pieces will fire their imagination.

Par CHOSTAKOVITCH DIMITRI. / Date parution : 2023-03-21/ Répertoire / 2 Violons

Dans ces duos, destinés aux jeunes violonistes du Premier Cycle, j'ai cherché à illustrer plaisamment le monde qui nous entoure. Une joie irrépressible et des pas de danses se sont donc mis à animer des objets quotidiens : essuie-glaces, éoliennes, horloges... Mais aussi des animaux : poissons, éléphants et serpents... Chaque pièce propose un mode de jeu rarement abordé à ce niveau d'apprentissage: pizzicatos, glissandos, polyrythmie, dans un discours musical simple et clair. / 2 Violons

Par QUERLEUX ALAIN. / Niveau : Cycle 3 / Musique Instrumentale / Répertoire / Violon