Malvina (1992)
(Version for 2 Violas)

Malvina was written for Kazue Sawai and her extraordinary koto playing. I knew almost nothing about the koto but had seen Kazue Sawai perform and drew much of my encouragement for writing the piece from that. The music is also made as a tribute to Malvina Reynolds (1900-1978), one of our national treasures, a singer and songwriter of great energy and directness who tirelessly championed oppressed people and especially loved and knew all about children. She lived in California which I think of as on the way to Japan. The music is made out of material drawn from the Malvina Reynolds song "On the Rim of the World," and also from the song "Harriet Tubman" by Walter Robinson. The music is continuous but in six sections, the first and last made up of running figuration, the second is a transcription of a "Snare Drum Peace March" of mine, the third and fifth use sustained sounds somewhat in the manner of chorale preludes. There are a number of tuning changes "composed" into the piece, and the performer is given a certain range of freedom of how she may play.