Composition

Notes

Prelude and Country Waltz was written for Joti Rockwell and Cynthia Fogg. Joti asked for a short mandola/viola duet for his "Sliding and Steeling” program, which included many examples of American “roots” music and Bach’s Eb Major Cello Suite.
This "Prelude" is based entirely on the harmony from the Bach Suite, transposed to the Mandola- and viola-friendlier key of C major. The "Country Waltz" features newly invented folk tunes as a tip of the hat to Joti’s interest in American popular music of various sorts, and dissonant drones responding to Cindy’s long interest in Balkan folk music and Bartok’s string quartets.