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Work
Three Shades of Blue
for violin and cello
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About
Three Shades of Blue was naively conceived as a work for Cello with Violin accompaniment. However, the Violin, accustomed to star billing wasn’t having any of it.
The Cello begins the first theme, but a few bars later the Violin steals it, extends it, and tries to keep it. This results in a skirmish, with neither instrument giving way – a scrappy, unyielding and relentless bombilation of blue murder. The movement ends, not in an agreement, but in a truce.
The second movement is a peace discussion, more subdued, but alive with tension. Each instrument tries to out-filibuster the other with empirical viewpoints ‘till they’re blue in the face.
Finally, deciding they can get on with each other in a hopeful blue skies type of atmosphere, they embark on a reconciliatory third and final movement and boogie their way to the finish.
Commissioned note
Commissioned by the Moore Mullen Duo in 1996
Contents note
I. Allegro
II. Largo Cantabile
III. Allegro Vivo
Performance history
24 Sep 1996: Performed by Jeff Moore (violin) and Brian Mullen (cello) at the British Music Information Centre in London, England.