Robert Scott Thompson

Violin and Viola

Composer's Note:

This work explores the notions of connection and linkage, both between the two instruments and also within the definition of musical materials and their structured development. Written as a musical celebratory gesture for János Négyesy and Päivikki Nykter, Nexi is concerned with the focal aspects of the duo condition - cooperation, dualistic assimilation, reflexive commentary and mutual support. Nexi is organized into eleven discrete sections but is largely continuous in sound. At the heart of the compositional process lies the utilization of what I refer to as "compositional primitives," computer programs designed to provide a meaningful technology for the control of the development of musical sound-space. These "primitives" remain equally useful regardless of the context in which they are used and have been applied to a number of works. Musical stochastics are also employed in the development of a syntactical pitch hierarchy.