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Because: Charles Vies (2014)

two violas

6 minutes

commissioned by the Harvard Group for New Music

Written for and premiered by Elizabeth Weisser & John Pickford Richards on February 7, 2015. The piece is in two movements.

​The Harvard Group for New Music asked me to write this piece for their concert of all viola duo music. Thank you to HGNM for the opportunity!
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This piece was an experiment for me, having dipped my toes in microtonal writing a few times before, for momentary effect mostly, but having never jumped into the deep end. I ask the first viola to tune the middle strings—G & D—down a quarter-tone, and the second viola to tune the outer strings—C & A—also down a quarter-tone, making the possibility for a 24-note equal tempered chromatic scale very easy. I was inspired by Charles Ives's "Three Quarter-Tone Pieces," which asks for two pianos to be tuned a quarter-tone away from each other. I noticed something about Ives' approach, which was the main thing I tried to emulate, but in my own language. There are three main approaches to dealing with harmony in the new 24-note scale: 1) I treat it as two separate 12 note scales 2) I treat it as one 12 note scale that gets "invaded" or pushed up against by pitches from the other 3) a truly 24-note chromatic scale with harmonies that do not treat one of the regular 12 note scales more dominant. The piece moves back and forth between these three treatments of 24-note equal temperament.

Score