Suite for Violin and Piano, 2015

The Suite for Violin and Piano was commissioned by my friend, Edmonton violinist Frank Ho and written in 2014-2015. It was premiered by Frank and pianist David Tutt in a recital at Muttart Hall, Alberta College Conservatory on September 12, 2015.

Frank requested a suite of lighter pieces using as a model Igor Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne or Alfred Schnittke’s Suite in the Old Style. The suite I composed is basically in a baroque suite style using typical dance forms for each of the movements. However, what was intended to be a bourrée morphed into a humoreske and the gigue I had planned for the final movement transformed itself into a tarantella. Like writers, composers have less control over their compositions than they would like to believe. I also found inspiration in Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin, a piece for solo piano that I have performed in the past. The suite is in six movements: Prelude, Allemande, Minuet, Humoreske, Sarabande, and Tarantella.

The performance below took place at Trinity Anglican Church in Edmonton as part of their series, Arts at Holy Trinity. Frank played violin and was accompanied by pianist David Tutt.