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    Adam Greene     composer



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Scène II: Pas de deux à travers le jardin de sculpture (2001)


violin duo with sculptures and projections
duration: 15’
SMMP No. 113/113a





View slide show of the performance.



Premiere Performance
Mandeville Center, University of California, San Diego, April 10, 2001, János Négyesy and Päivikki Nykter, violins, sculptures by Stacie Birky Greene, lighting design by Alan Johnson.


Program Note
This is a theatrical piece in which two violinists interact with sculptures created by Stacie Birky Greene. There are four sculptural works: slides of original artwork projected on ten-foot high paper panels, metallic “leaves” which rustle when shaken, an object reminiscent of a Japanese lantern in which chimes are placed, and a resonant wooden structure which holds a zither. Light, wood, leaves, and metal are the main metaphorical underpinnings that guided the development of the musical materials.

Ultimately this piece is about two types of wonder. The first is a response to the objects themselves, both their forms and their materials. The fact that each object has some modest (and often fragile) sonorous component is of particular interest. The second type of wonder is with the very nature of an artistic collaboration with one’s spouse, where the prospects are challenging and exciting and the results are often surprising. To this end it is appropriate we created this project for János Négyesy and Päivikki Nykter, a husband-wife team whose own playful attitude was frequently the source of great joy and inspiration for those fortunate enough to spend time with them.