Encounters V

Description

Cello, Percussion — Encounters V was commissioned by the Ford Foundation and written for cellist Nathaniel Rosen.xa0 It was premiered in 1976 in Alice Tully Hall (Lincoln Center, New York) by Mr. Rosen, with the composer performing the percussion part.In the course of the piece, which probes the relationships of violoncello and percussion, specific references are made to Scriabin’s Ninth Sonata.xa0 As it progresses, the work incorporates more of Scriabin’s “mystic chord,” which was involved in the serial formulation of the composition.xa0 “Encounters V” is an extremely difficult duet, requiring virtuosic performances by both cellist and percussionist.—William Kraft