Description:

Spell
INSTRUMENTATION: Violin & 2 cellos

While Spell is not truly programmatic, the music and movement titles are meant to create a loose story of sorcerers casting a spell. In the first movement (“Spell”), the casting of the spell starts in the violin and is echoed and expanded upon by the second cello. The second movement (“Pagan Dance”) starts as an extension of the first, but gradually builds into a raucous and chaotic dance. The energy continually increases until it is finally suspended at a high point: the spell is ending; dawn in approaching. In the final movement (“Embers”), the fire begins to die. Various motives and themes return and are subject to increasing fragmentation. Though the spell and the fire are dying, the magic only fades from view. The movements are played without pause. Performance notes for atypical notation are provided within the context of the score. The movements are to be played attacca.