Bittersweet

Adam Gorb

Level:

Piece length: 3' 30
Scored for: Piano, Violin, Violin 2, Cello
Publisher: Maecenas

Bittersweet written in 1999 for the Schubert Ensemble’s Chamber Music 2000 project is one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever had. I must have made at least five false starts before I felt I was beginning to get on the right track. What I wanted was something musically sophisticated that has a certain amount of substance in a mere three minutes, but at the same time is appealing to an audience relatively unfamiliar with new music. I also wanted to make the piece playable for gifted youngsters and amateurs. The musical language of Bittersweet is diatonic with ‘wrong notes’ and is based on small motives that make up a melody in five-four time that I eventually couldn’t get out of my head.

Adam Gorb