Presenting a fun, new work for intermediate violin and piano — “Samba Llena de Vida”!
Check out the live demo recording below, and purchase the sheet music for yourself here!
New Latin Work for Violin & Piano
Tag: duet
#NewTuneThursday: Gypsy Wanderer
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
Today’s tune holds a special place in my heart. đ
“Gypsy Wanderer” is an original, 4-movement sonata for solo violin and piano.
[C]ompleted in April of 2013, the originating sketches for this four-movement work existed as early as 2008, and were a part of Wallin Huffâs first graduate lessons in composition, while studying under Dr. Mark Carlson. âGypsy Wandererâ is a unique addition to Wallin Huffâs repertoire in that it is an early exploration of patterns, color, and formula.
The nature of the four movements can be described in affect as follows: I. Irreverently: dance-like and fluid; II. Grave: surreal and sublime; III. Con brio: diligent and determined; IV. Rapide: passionate yet controlled. The work is riveting and soulful in its earthy and irreverent, rhythmic and harmonic wanderings.
I have had the privilege of playing this sonata, in whole and in part, several times, and each time I play it I discover something new about it as a violinist. The unexpected dichotomy of approaching a piece (especially one of my later works) as a musician versus a composer continues to fascinate me. đ
I am immensely grateful to sisters Maria Wozniakiewicz and Karolina Rojahn for their excellent and pristine performance of this work on the Navona album, “Soul of the Machine.” And, of course, many thanks to Parma Recordings and all others who contributed to make this album possible!
Enjoy Maria’s and Karolina’s performance of “Gypsy Wanderer” below!
“Gypsy Wanderer” can be performed by anyone with advanced ability. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our featured work next week…
#NewTuneThursday: Forgotten Melody
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
How apropos is it that our first new tune to show up this Thursday is “Forgotten Melody“? đ
“Forgotten Melody” is very memorable with a sweet movement that progresses throughout the piece. (source)
This unassuming, little 3-minute work for solo violin and piano was originally composed in 2006 for a graduate school assignment. I jotted it down in only a week and then forgot about it! But during my work putting together Paroketh’s Veil for CBTTF Records, I realized it was an opportune time to “dust off” the old file, clean it up (add an improvisatory intro), and give it a real life. đ
Spoiler: I have plans to re-record this work with two very dear and talented friends of mine this Fall. My long-term sneaky plot is to eventually release it as part of a very exciting, full album release, featuring the ultimate recording of the 2008 electric violin concerto, “Leviathan of the Ancient Deep”! (Pro Tip: Be sure to subscribe as a Backstage Member to be the FIRST to receive the epic Concerto recording!!)
This charming little duet can be played by anyone with intermediate ability. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our featured work next week…
“Weeping Willow” Practice Session
My good friend, Adrienne Andisheh, and I got together yesterday to start practicing the two violin parts for our recording session of “Weeping Willow” on Dec 18! This video was only the second time we ran it together; we still have some spots to iron out, but I was super impressed by how quickly it’s coming together, and HOW FUN it is to play!!!
The recording should be available on Dec 20; you can hear the duet in perfection with our pianist then!! đ
New Full-Length Album, Coming Soon!
My new album “ESOTERICA” is almost ready for its official release on Tuesday December 20!
Part of the delay on ESOTERICA’s completion was my determination to include my brand new violin duet 
on this recording. It is a just-finished, commissioned work for 2 violins and piano, with strong flavors of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Ernest Bloch’s “Baal Shem,” and “Schindler’s List”… This new duet is called “Weeping Willow” — I am SO proud of how it turned out! đ
I’m working out a schedule now to record this new duet with my friends Mike Jung (you can hear him playing piano on our new “Pegasus” recording), and violinist Adrienne Andisheh. We should be able to get together to make this happen at the end of this month or so. đ
For now, if you like, click here to hear the digital demo of the new âWeeping Willowâ — please bear in mind, that with real musicians, the heartbreak and drama will be sooooo much more beautiful and meaningful!
But, at least this demo gives you a neat sneak peek at what’s coming soon….
And, check out the trailer video below to hear snippets from 5 of the new tracks of this inspiring album!
New Violin Duet in the Works
I FINALLY got a real solid start on my new violin duet I’ve been commissioned to write!! It’s super intriguing!!! I originally thought I’d add a piano part, but I don’t know now… I may just go Ravel-violin/cello-duet-style and have the two violins remain by themselves. Or, if I do add a piano part, I want to have it wait a while to come in… Can’t wait to see where this goes and how it unfolds! ?
Wanna see how I approached the beginnings of this basic construction? Check out The Music Nerds video #1! ?
Videos from Seal Beach Duo Gig
Omg! I completely forgot to share our three videos from Mike’s and my Seal Beach gig! Included is the DEBUT of my recent work, “Gypsy Wanderer“! It’s a little rough around the edges, but not half-bad for the first official run — and Mike and I are hoping to perform this new Sonata again in January at University of Redlands!
For now, enjoy these videos from the performance!
