Eli Wallace - Precepts [CD]

Precepts for Piano and Strings is a graphic score with pitch suggestions and vague time perimeters composed in four movements. It was written for violin, cello, bass, and piano, and provides a guideline for collective improvisation. The piece revolves around four distinct lines and how they exist and interact with one another, each line representing one musician. The proximity, connection (or lack thereof) of the aforementioned lines indicate the rate of interaction between the performers, dictating how closely one musician’s pulse is related to another. It was composed during COVID-19 times (Fall 2020) and therefore on an emotive level deals with isolation, while on a practical level asks the question of how we can still collaborate effectively with other musicians during this era.