List of Works || Duo

Duo for Two Violins is dedicated to Weinzweig’s son Daniel and grandson Noah. Two students from Earl Haig Collegiate, Coco Chen and Qing Hen, premiered the work on Weinzweig’s birthday at his retirement home (Clarement House) in 2006, with family and friends in attendance. Weinzweig’s music is known for its conversational textures, and Duo is no exception.

After a more spacious opening, the conversation between the violins is constant. The work contains several distinct ideas, each expressed through varied tempos, dynamics, articulations, and textures. The resulting conversations can be competitive, with each violin asserting its voice above the other, or a more polite call-and-answer. At times, the two violins even seem to finish each other’s sentences.

Duo is rather dissonant, with numerous crunch chords and extensive chromaticism. The crunch chords are frequently spelled out in rocking patterns that are reminiscent of his later piano works. With constantly changing metres, articulations, and dynamics, Duo is never dull, and demands a wide expressive range from its players.

Written by Alexa Woloshyn