Pegasus - For Two Guitars
Additional sets of parts for ensemble expansion
Pegasus is a fast-moving, kinetic duo where I’ve tried to build intensity through forceful rhythms and biting harmony so as to, like the mythological beast, "lift off." The rhythmic figures go back and forth between five and four beats, finally settling as the end nears in a stream of eighth notes in 4/4 that resolve to the opening key of D major. The goal is a sense of triumph.
Much of the tension in the harmony comes from a scale I borrowed from the Indian raga "Todi" ( D - Eb - F - G# - Bb - C# ) which creates a bitonal feel. (Note that the spelling of this scale is intentional and conforms to its resonant identity.) I hope that the performers will experience a sense of play with this piece. Its nature is hopeful and exuberant even when the materials veer towards the dark.
