Tanya Anisimova
Farela for cello & piano

You can also see the first performance with pianist Pi-Hsun Shih.

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The title Farela stands for three musical pitches, F-D-A. It was conceived in 2015 as an encore piece for pianist Pi-Hsun Shih and myself. I had planned to compose a minimalistic, slightly whimsical bonbon to use for topping off our usually very intense programs. However, the project developed a will of its own resulting in a 15-minute-long virtuosic duet with equally dramatic piano and cello parts.

The outer sections are lively, with subtle flamenco elements. The middle section is slower and more lyrical. Pitches F-D-A are sort of a leitmotif, which appears frequently throughout the piece, especially at its climatic points.

Pi-Hsun Shih and the composer premiered the piece in November of 2015, in Promisek Concert Series in Bridgewater, Connecticut.

Tanya Anisimova