| Gordia (1998)
for Mandolin and Guitar
“When Gerda Abts asked me to write a composition for mandolin and guitar, I was very enthusiastic about the idea. After a short time though, I had the feeling that I had to unravel a real “Gordian Knot” : the complex pattern of possibilities and limitations of both instruments was quite difficult to understand. I wanted to avoid the path that is often taken when writing for this combination : a virtuosic mandolin part with a guitar accompaniment. In Gordia – the title is a combination of “chord” (string) and “dia” (two) – I decided to treat both instruments equally. I tried to write for them as if they were one entity. The first part Lento – Presto agitato – Lento is rhapsodic and gives a kaleidoscopic impression of the mandolin/guitar combination. The Adagio is lyrical, ethereal and full of colors. The lively Allegro vivace is a sparkling and virtuosic finale, in which colorful effects demonstrate various aspects of the instruments’ sounds. The violent passages refer back to the first section. Halfway through the finale, there is a brief reference to the ethereal character of the Adagio. The composition ends with a whirling storm and an absolute climax. With this composition, I have tried to make a contribution to the mandolin/guitar repertoire with a composition of a longer duration (14 minutes) than usual.
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