Excerpt of a live performance; Constance Whitman, viola; David A. Jaffe, guitar
Three Musicians
(after the Picasso paintings)
for viola and guitar (1981) or violin and harpsichord (2018)
Duration: 11'
1981
"Three Musicians (after the Picasso paintings)" was inspired by the two paintings by that name, one hanging in the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the other in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One of these paintings includes a dog.
Originally composed in 1981 for viola and guitar, a new reworked version was created in 2018 for violin and harpsichord.
The piece is in five movements, each incorporating elements of a particular style of American folk music, although these styles are often abstracted to a bizarre extent. The styles are: old-time fiddle style, blues, bluegrass style, jazz and country music style. The movements are entitled:
1. Fanfare for the First Musician
2. Philadelphia Version (with Dog)
3. Fanfare for the Second Musician
4. New York Version (without Dog)
5. Fanfare for the Third Musician and Dog
To order a score and parts contact Terra Non Firma Press
Video
Live performance of the first movement, performed by Duo Verdejo, Meghan Verdejo, viola and Adrian Verdejo, guitar. October 9, 2009 at St. Philips Anglican Church in Vancouver, Canada.
Live performance of the 2018 version for violin and harpsichord, from a performance on April 8, 2018 by Karen Bentley Pollick and Jonathan Salzedo at a Berkeley house concert.