Relationship (2018)

I. The Meeting
II. Connection
III. The Argument(s)
IV. Ballad
V. Finale: Hora

Relationship (2018) for Violin and Clarinet is dedicated to the wonderful couple Erin Keefe and Osmo Vänskä. Set in five brief and self-explanatory movements, the work portrays a relationship from its inception to a finale celebratory wedding dance, with plenty of tenderness and contention in between. Knowing Osmo and Erin for a few years now, I did my best to capture their unique dynamic, from its fun-loving nature to some raw, brutal honesty. There are musical depictions of their initials throughout, and the Finale combines quotes from the Finnish national anthem with “American” sonorities to showcase their respective roots.

- Michael Stephen Brown

Listen & Watch

Erin Keefe, violin; Osmo Vänskä, clarinet
Recorded at Tongyeong Concert Hall, June 2020