a momentexposed

About

About the work

In a moment exposed, the violin and clarinet are paired in a kind of chaotic unity. The two instruments interact, manoeuvre, and replicate one another’s gestures through a raucous opening—acting together while continuing to insist on their own instrumental identities.

The clarinet frequently occupies a register above the violin, while the violin is drawn toward its lower range. Its fourth string is tuned down, grounding the instrument further and creating a darker, more resistant sonority.

Out of the pair’s final explosion, the remainder of the ensemble emerges. The two low strings move into their upper registers while the piano sustains softly repeated chords, forming a cloud beneath the interjections of the clarinet and violin.

These two instruments gradually settle. The clarinet becomes absorbed into the ensemble, while the violin continues to preserve a degree of separation. Finally, the violin is briefly exposed alone before initiating a concluding passage of heightened activity.