Two Chaconnes

for orchestra (2222.4331.timp+3perc.harp.piano.strings)

Premiered by Ezra Calvino and the Yale Philharmonia on December 12th, 2024 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Program Note:

Particularly popular during the Baroque period of Western Art Music, a chaconne is a dance form characterized by repeating harmonic progressions. My Two Chaconnes do not strictly follow the traditional form, and those familiar with famous examples in the repertoire (Couperin, Bach, and Brahms come to mind) will note that these pieces sound nothing like the chaconnes of the past. Rather, they take inspiration from the form’s absolute devotion to harmony and repetition, investigating their own recurring harmonic patterns in a wide array of contrasting (and conflicting) emotions, styles, and orchestral colors.