Neurotichotomy

Description

Violin, Piano — Neurotichotomy is a microscopic violin sonata: its first movement contains a traditional sonata-allegro structure; the middle movement is a slow theme and variations; and the third is a scherzo-trio. But each movement is a tightly packed microcosm of what a proper sonata would contain. In addition, the name of each movement reflects how many elements are important. Dichotomy, the first movement, contains two primary elements - the two contrasting themes of a typical sonata-allegro.Trichotomy, the second movement, has three descending scales - one in the violin, and one in each hand of the piano. The final movement, Lotsachotomy, has so many elements (including a twelve tone row, a tango, and a quote from a work I wrote a year ago) that I felt completely neurotic by the time I pinned a double bar to the piece, hence the title Neurotichotomy. -S.G.