a Call

First performance: 26, March 2016 – Geneva
Patricia Kopatchinskaja

And a call, pure, long and throbbing.
Longindying call.

/James Joyce, Ulysses, Episode 11, Sirens/

És a hivás, tiszta, hosszu, szivvibrátó.
Siró hivás vágyteli.

/James Joyce, Ulysses, 11. fejezet, A szirének/
/Szentkuthy Miklós fordítása/

In 2015, Patricia Kopatchinskaja commissioned a work for violin solo for the 70th birthday of Mr. Gérard Fleury from Geneva, which she performed in 2016 in a family gathering. Eötvös chose a Joyce quote from the 11th chapter of Ulysses, which in short, creates a festive mood. Along with the work, the celebrated also got a colorful manuscript from Kopatchinskaja.

The form of the work based on variations begins with the presentation of the theme, it follows the articulation and the cadence of the English text. The performer does not recite the text of the sheet music, but tries to shape the eloquence of the glissandos with their instrument. The only unusual sound effect is the repeated “resounding silence” (in beats 37, 44 and 90). The execution depends on the tailpiece’s wood quality. If a slow string drawn on the tailpiece does not produce a deep growling sound, then the simplest solution is to draw the bow diagonally, slowly on the bridge without the strings sounding.The style of the performance is solemn and highly speech-like articulated.

/Eötvös – 2022/