Dragoi Metaphors for violin, viola, cello, and piano

Dragoi Metaphors is a tribute to the legendary Romanian folk violinist Ion Dragoi. His unique interpretation of folk music influenced generations of musicians. I attempted to take a closer look at Dragoi’s music world by amplifying some of the most characteristic musical gestures. In some instances the main harmonic background is maintained, but in other places the harmony is a result of an intense melodic embellishment. I also felt the need to preserve some of the typical rhythmic patterns common in Romanian music like Batuta, Hora, and Doina, but other times the rhythm is more fluent.

Each of the seven movements can be described as a free improvisation on folk songs performed by Dragoi. Addressing the “20/20: Ways of Seeing” theme I wanted to explore one possible way to capture the musical canvas of the present time by reinterpreting musical gestures from the past.