Rhodopa

The Rhodope mountains are famed for being the birthplace of Orpheus. The continuously flowing melody reflects the shape of the ridges and brooks, which carry their anscient song through forests and meadows.  After the initial statement of the theme in unison, the piano and violin enter a dialogue of interconnected melodies.  The mostly Dorian modality is occasionally intersected or transformed, but the pull of the modal centre together with the distinct syncopated rhythms remain the core of the work.