Blues Wanderer (2004, rev. 2005)     for viola and piano    NOTES:     The viola and the piano are both my instruments, and because of this they walk side by side in Blues Wanderer (Passacaglia in E).  The piece is a passacaglia in an approximate sense; I chose the title due to the ubiquity of the piano's opening bass line.  "Blues" is an even rougher term; it refers to both the gloomy, slow tempo of the piece and its bluesy octatonic harmonies.  "Wanderer" is a reference to the piece's form; at times it loses its way and must attempt a new path, only reaching some form of closure in the end.  I revised the work at the end of 2005 to remove a few unnecessary difficulties.  The work is dedicated to Clement So. LISTEN:     excerpt     featuring:           Andrew McManus, viola           Clement So, piano back to compositions