Composer’s Note:

Two Night Pieces for viola and piano, composed in early 1988, is a very personal piece that surprised me as I was composing it with its dark and anguished tone. It led to several more works in this vein, including my Suite for Cello Quartet, and Winter Sketchbook for violin and piano. The first movement begins almost in the vein of a neoclassical piece, but seems to quickly run aground and become darkly lyrical. The second movement occupies a haunted, expressionistic territory, with intense lyricism and an explosive episode that suggests panic.

The first performance was given by my wonderful colleague Jacob (“Jack”) Glick, with me at the piano.