Robert Scott Thompson

Soprano Saxophone and Viola

Composer's Note:

Filigree and Shadow is inspired by the intricate metalwork of twisted wire threads and also by the notion of "shadowed narrativity" the context shared by the two instrumentalists as they explore often similar materials but also diverge from each other to provide commentary and elaborations. Various approaches to the duo context are explored in the work ranging from direct opposition to unification. Composed at the invitation of Jan Berry Baker and Tania Maxwell Clements, the form of the composition is a kind of suite divided into two large sections. The first of these is comprised of a series of gestural fields that emphasizes formal separateness and compartmentalization while the second is more continuous in sound and provides a context for virtuosic interplay between the instruments.