Ensemble: viola and guitar

Written: summer 2025

Duration: ca. 7'

Premiere Date: 7/24/25

Program Note

Classical music, across all sub-genres, has long been about artists taking control of their instruments and training them to sound the way they desire. Release, scored for viola and guitar, is an exploration of what it might sound like if the instruments resisted that control—if these two "characters" tried to escape the imposed manipulation of pitch, rhythm, and timbre. This piece is split into three miniature, connected sections, narrating the journey from the instruments' oppression to their self-reflection, and from their self-reflection to their liberation. This journey can mostly be heard through the piece's progression from a tense modality (C double harmonic major) to a more natural harmonic language for the instruments (which consists of open strings and natural harmonics). The final section gradually introduces pitches excluded from the C double harmonic major scale, resembling a faint yet powerful tonal rebellion. Beyond the metaphor of the instruments' liberation, Release shares the importance of understanding the human ability to break free from societal structures. Though control can yield beauty, it should be for the individual to reflect and decide if that control sits right with them. Whether it's met with complacency or intervention, a common thread should lie within both actions: intention.