Shadow-line is a short work exploring the viola's rich, natural resonance and its ability to carve out sustained, sonorous lines. Much of the piece derives from the interval of the major seventh, heard at the opening, along with its various inversions, especially the minor second, which features more and more as the piece develops. Structurally the piece is simple, as short fragments gradually expand and coalesce into longer, more sweeping lines that coil their way from start to finish. The piece emerges from the viola's lowest note and returns there at the end, with the final passage a muted 'shadow' of the opening; a circle that isn't a circle, a return that isn't a return.
Shadow-line is dedicated to the memory of Stephane Vallé.
