Bury the Hatchet
12 minutes — for violin and cello — in two movements
1. Bury the Hatchet
2. Twist the Knife
commissioned by Matt Albert for his album, &Violin
Bury the Hatchet (2023) outlines, in fairly firm terms, how we respond to personal hurt. When we're hurt, when we grow apart, when we're at odds, we choose: if we believe that the person can change, we go through the difficult and often non-linear path of healing with them (burying the hatchet) — if this person has proven their inability to change, we should feel free to end that relationship gleefully and without remorse (twisting the knife.) Neither choice is represented in pure programmatic form between the two voices, violin and cello, but more so in energy — halting misalignment and squablling leading to the eventual warm cohesion of the first movement, the maniacal speed and vicious glee of the second. In short: some relationships are worth the work, and the others can be cut loose.