A playful three-movement trio that lets each instrument take the spotlight in turn, drawing on Arabic performance practices as the ensemble shifts rapidly between whimsical, contemplative, and ecstatic moods.
Premiered by: The Debussy Trio
Venue: Daniel Recital Hall, California State University, Long Beach, California
Commissioned by: California Association of Professional Music Teachers
Dohree (‘my turn’ in Arabic) is written in three movements, with each of the players having a chance to solo while the other two instrumentalists accompany. The spotlight, of course, is envied by the accompanists in all three movements who continuously vie to be the main voice. The music itself incorporates the performance practices of classical Arabic musicians, with this trio of flute, viola and harp serving as ‘Western cousins’ of the nay, the kamanjeh and the qanun. The character of the trio often drastically changes in mood, from whimsical to distraught, from contemplative to ecstatic. Dohree was written after a string of ‘serious’ orchestral commissions spanning the last few years, and was composed with an attitude and spirit of spontaneous playfulness.
2018 Locrian Chamber Players Call for Scores, Selected Work
