Wilson: Pas de Deux

Description

Composer's Note:

A pas de deux (literally a "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers (typically a man and a woman) perform ballet steps together. The title was an irresistible metaphor for my two gifted and accomplished colleagues to whom the piece is dedicated, Eric Kutz and Miko Kominami.

I. The Horizon Beckons

The title of the opening movement makes reference to my interest in the poetic imagination of the ancient Egyptians, who viewed the horizon as emblematic of the mysteries of the unknown and the eternal. The western and eastern horizons were seen as the portals of time, the gateways of yesterday and tomorrow and the cyclic nature of eternity—to me, a deeply moving and beautiful metaphor.

II. Tango: Kurwenal Steps Out

This movement is a tango that makes occasional reference to Tristan and Isolde in the form of musical puns, hence the title and the further caption, "Poor Kurwenal, Tristan's faithful friend, he deserves a night out on the town."

III. Bulgarian Rhythm

The energetic finale explores rhythmic ideas that place groupings of three versus two into dynamic interaction. Although there are no overt references to Eastern European folk music in the piece, the meter of the principal theme is 3+3+2, one of the metric patterns often labeled as a "Bulgarian rhythm."