Journey to the Epiphany for Violoncello(s) and Piano

Journey to the Epiphany This music draws its inspiration from the desert scene evoked in the story of the three kings of the East (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2). The ostinato in the cello solo (Cello I) represents the long journey of the Magi and is adapted from Chopin's Waltz in A Minor, Op. 34, No. 2. Reverberating tremolos in the cello, re-enforced by the optional Cello II, express the brilliance of the Christmas Star. The winds that blow across the deserts of the Middle East and the steppes of central Asia are evoked by the open strings of the cello, played to suggest the sound of the Aeolian harp, the only instrument whose sound is produced by the wind passing through it, without human manipulation. Thus, the Aeolian harp, a simple frame with several strings stretched across it lengthwise, in contrast to the bowed strings of the cello and the hammered strings of the piano, is the oldest "piano" of all. The thematic melody is drawn from John Henry Hopkins' THREE KINGS OF ORIENT tune (1857). The Cello I part is a solo, but Cello II may be one, or better, two or more cellos, creating a thunderous effect. "Journey to the Epiphany" received its first performance in December 2021, with noted cellist David Feldman performing the solo part (Cello I).