About "Of Wood and Touch"

 

At the time I began composing this piece, I happened to be listening to works by

the French composers Ravel, Debussy and Satie as well as to traditional music

from Egypt and Turkey. There are unexpected parallels in the types of minor

scales used by each country's musicians. The cello is remarkably well suited for

some of the long, floating melodies that are often heard in Middle Eastern music,

usually played by wind instruments like the ney or the mizmar.

 

While I couldn't easily explore microtonality in a duet that strongly features the all-

too-well tempered piano, I did reference the driving rhythms of some Middle

 

Eastern music in a hypnotic and ostinatic piano part that's fun to play, and the cello

writing showcases the extraordinary range and tone of the instrument in the hands

of a fine player. The result is a uniquely American piece that is informed by other

cultures. The title refers to the sensual nature of each instrument.