07: Celtic Duo for violin and viola
This piece was composed for John Wilcox and Walter Mony, and is based on two sad Celtic love songs about unrequited love. The first, “Somebody,” is sung from the soulful viewpoint of a woman deserted by her lover, It begins with an original moving and syncopated obligato that soon supports the slower-moving melody. The melody and the obligato are inverted. The second song, “Caitlin Triall” (Caitlin of the Tresses), is sung by a man who has seen his lover with another, and who threatens to leave, never to return. The constant obligato accompaniment moves in continuous rapid eighths against a slower tune with a periodic Scottish snap. The rhythmic grouping constantly changes between six-eight and three-four to create an unusually rapid but halting motion. Again melody and obligato are inverted.
RobertRollin.com 